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Echo Platoon #4

Hot Target

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A cruise-ship romance with Navy SEAL Tristan Halliday was one thing, but now he’s back, wanting more. His can-do attitude—and mouth-watering sex appeal—make him hard to resist, and she could use his special skills to hunt down her parents’ murderer. But Private Investigator Juliet Rhodes prefers being single, and working alone.

Unfazed by Juliet’s bristling independence, Tristan helps her scour San Francisco’s art district, finding and confronting top suspects. The deeper they dig, the greater the danger, and just as they close in on their target, Juliet slips through his fingers, leaving her vulnerable to the killer’s revenge.

THE ECHO PLATOON SERIES, in order
Danger Close Hard Landing Friendly Fire Hot Target Take Cover
THE TASKFORCE SERIES, in order
The Protector The Guardian The Enforcer

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2017

146 people are currently reading
128 people want to read

About the author

Marliss Melton

54 books532 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
156 (53%)
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90 (30%)
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43 (14%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Pilar S.C..
Author 10 books273 followers
April 24, 2021
Mataría a Juliet con las mismas ganas que acogería en mi casa a Tristán.

¡Qué personaje masculino! ¡Qué maravilla!

La trama me ha vuelto un poco loca, pero en general ha estado bien.
Profile Image for Pamela(AllHoney).
2,761 reviews377 followers
June 3, 2018
The fourth book in The Echo Platoon series by Marliss Melton. Navy SEAL Tristan Halliday and PI Juliet Rhodes met on a cruise ship ( Friendly Fire ). Juliet told Tristan she would date him if he didn't date for 6 months and he has now made it through the 6 months and is ready. But Juliet has her mind on other things. She had a nightmare and remembered something about her parents death that she didn't before.

I have enjoyed this series and will continue to read Ms. Melton whenever I can. Her writing is fast-paced and easy to follow. She keeps her readers going without lags and too much info.
Profile Image for Mandy C.
236 reviews16 followers
November 2, 2017
Wow!! Love Tristan's character...... Who wouldn't?!

Have waited for ages to learn more about Tristan. He is such a complicated yet in some ways very simple man who desperately wants stability and love. Juliette is equally as desperate not to lose another that she loves again so there begins an immense battle of wills, one filled with cracking verbal clashes, gentle seduction, romantic persuasion and outright hilarious propositions! This book has it all; intrigue, action, romance, flirting, sexy scenes and chivalry long thought dead. Loved it and now I'm hankering for Hack to tell all and find peace of his own. Hurry up please!!! Oh, by the way,definitely five stars!!!!!
Profile Image for Savsandy.
715 reviews9 followers
July 7, 2020
20 Year Old Cold Target

Anyone who reads my book review blog ReadMyLips knows I’m a sucker for a good Navy SEAL yarn so I got comfy and settled in to read “Hot Target” by Marliss Melton. Well. Where to begin? How ‘bout the dual protagonists, Navy SEAL Tristan Halliday and PI Juliet Rhodes who continue their on again, off again relationship
that began on a cruise to Belize sometime in the past. Tristan is a charmer and of course handsome. Juliet is fighting her attraction to him because she doesn’t want to risk losing her heart to a man whose job puts him in constant danger. (Eye roll here.) BUT she needs his help to track down the man she believes responsible for her parents deaths when she was 16. Having blocked out her memory of seeing him look into the car as her father took his last breaths, many years later she has a dream in which she sees this man clearly enough for a police sketch artist to render a good likeness of him. Oh really? Okay, I’ll suspend reality and go along for the ride. So they have a face but now they need a name to go with it. Do you see where this is going? One unlikely scenario after the other and coincidence piled on top for good measure until you want to shout BS! We get into a long, involved plot that pegs the killer as a war criminal who her dead mother had worked for as an East German spy (more eye rolls) and it goes downhill from there.

The plot premise is so far-fetched as to stretch the most imaginative of minds and the dialogue is borderline sophomoric at best. Tristan as a Navy SEAL is cluelessly unaware of his surroundings most of the time and Juliet is equally incompetent when it comes to being a real private investigator. It’s a good thing her bread and butter divorce cases keep her afloat so she can pay the rent on her office ‘cuz her skill set is mostly nonexistent.

Seriously, considering the author’s background my expectations might’ve been set a tad too high because the writing lacks authenticity and I couldn’t muster up even an inkling of a connection to either of the main characters. The minor characters, Hillary and Hatch were more interesting and somewhat more believable. Sadly, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for this fourth book in The Echo Platoon Series. I’d already downloaded Book five but I don’t think I’m gonna’ waste my time with it. The best I can do here is three stars.
Profile Image for Margaret Watkins.
3,574 reviews89 followers
October 5, 2017
From the opening chapter of this book, I experienced the suspense and tension in this story. Despite being a hard-headed, tough minded PI, underneath it all Juliet is in fact fragile, haunted by nightmares and memories of the past. She avoids close encounters with the opposite sex and in particular she is avoiding Navy SEAL Tristan. In a surprise discovery, Juliet finds that her past is not what she thought it was, and like an onion, layer after layer is peeled back, revealing a story she and her sister never expected. Tristan refuses to give up on Juliet and joins her in uncovering the truth. The attraction between them is dynamic but in spite of Tristan's declaration, Juliet nevertheless distances herself from him when the tension in the case rises. I loved Tristan's character and the patience he displayed in wooing her, however I felt that Juliet was a little too harsh with him, in spite of her reasoning. The concurrent romance between Hack and Hilary is sweet but obviously the source of another novel in the making. Ms Melton’s writing style is good and the narration was easy to read, despite the book jumping around from place to place. There was wit and humour in the story as well as a really good plot. Whilst this book is part of a series, it is nevertheless a standalone and thankfully ended on a happy note. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Pontiki.
2,583 reviews10 followers
July 28, 2018
Tristan has it bad for Juliet, who won’t succumb like so many women before her. But this time, she needs him to solve her patents’ murder many years ago.

As they uncover more history about Juliet and Emma’s parents, they learn of new family members. Tristan faces his own family history and pain, so they tend to help each other.

Enjoyable look at some history, and a good balance of adventure and romance. Juliet is not as quick-witted as in the book she was in previously, I like her a bit less. Still, the depth of her fear is obvious. The out of body part wasn’t done that well, otherwise, a great book.

KU
Profile Image for Roger.
5,812 reviews28 followers
October 23, 2021
Hot Target (The Echo Platoon Series, Book 4), my sixth read from author Marliss Melton, the series is so enjoyable, tightly woven & well-written. I like how the author is sharing seals & introducing them so you're already familiar with them when they get their own book. 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." Craig A. Hart'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 Mrs W Woodruff.
311 reviews8 followers
October 16, 2025
This is the 4th book in the series Echo Platoon. Of those I read, I was not impressed with this book or storyline. I liked the character Tristian and how she brings back previous characters. There was no excitement in this book like previous ones.

Juliette had a flashback the night her parents were killed in the car accident. She saw a man’s face she thought to be the killer. So she sets out to find him.

Tristan had stayed celibate for 6 months so came back to get that date with Juliette she said if he refrained from women for 6 months she would go out on a date with him. The date in ended helping her find this person and she found his biological parents.
Profile Image for Chanel.
1,833 reviews
July 10, 2020
3.5 Stars. Tristan and Juliet met in the previous book on a cruise vacation, that turned into a nightmare. It’s 6 months later and Tristan met the challenge set by Juliet. He is ready to date, but that’s not her plan. Tristan has his work cut out for him to get Juliet to change her mind.
Due to unexpected and shocking news about their parentages, Juliet and Tristan, set out to find the truth. While seeking the truth, they solve a murder, learn decades old secrets, encounter some danger, help capture a spy, find new family, and fall in love.
2,120 reviews11 followers
October 27, 2017
This is the first book I've read by this author and I found it very enjoyable. Between the love story and the suspense, I didn't want to put the book down. The two main characters both had their insecurities they had to deal with and there were twists and turns along the way in the story. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Suzette.
3,726 reviews21 followers
January 16, 2020
An entertaining romantic suspense read. Tristan is working hard to fulfill a promise to Juliet. He is a super sexy guy who lives a laid back life when he is not on duty. Juliet doesn’t want a relationship and is determined to keep him at arms length. The two make a great team as they work to solve the decades old murder of her parents. Spending time together gives her an opportunity to change her mind and him to win his prize.
1 review1 follower
January 14, 2021
The book was okay but I didn’t feel the connection between Tristan and Juliet until the very end. It was like two beautiful people got together because they’re two beautiful people. There was more chemistry between Hilary and Stu. The story line itself didn’t get interesting until chapter 17.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Catlou.
1,446 reviews15 followers
January 14, 2021
Heart pounding suspense, heart stopping, near lethal action, slow build to passion. All factors that make this an extremely captivating, intriguing, and entertaining read. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions and excitement, filled with twists and turns, that will keep you turning pages until the very end. You don’t want to miss this truly engaging and enjoyable tale.

I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I am voluntarily providing an honest review of this book.
318 reviews5 followers
October 7, 2017
If you love a great mystery book then this is the book for you. From the first sentence I was draw into the story. It kept me involved and I couldn’t put the book down. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from ebook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
1,033 reviews2 followers
May 5, 2018
Tristan and Juliet

He is a Marine Special Ops on vacation and she is a private investigator. She is hunting the post wE killer of her parents. Plenty of twists in the story, along with romance. Great read.
519 reviews4 followers
June 3, 2018
Great story

It has a lot of suspense,keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next.The right amount of romance and the danger the hero faces.What the woman finds out about her parents after they are gone.
785 reviews1 follower
June 17, 2018
3 1/2*

Not sure what to say— I never understood what made Tristan keep going after Juliet. Her reasons for pushing him away were so lame. She seemed unlikable and standoffish. Book dragged quite a bit. But overall, it was well written; not sure I’ll read the next one.
2 reviews
October 29, 2018
Summary

The plot kept you guessing and the tension on till the next clue. I love how the couple dance around each other. One of the discoveries really touched my heart and made me smile with tears.
223 reviews1 follower
Want to Read
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 and Curtis definitely adds flavor to the story.
Profile Image for Mandy.
165 reviews6 followers
January 10, 2021
 Great Book


This was a great book! I love how the story weaved with twists and turns throughout the book. It kept me very entertained until the very end. I'm an Avid Reader and I would definitely recommend this book to read.
551 reviews1 follower
January 14, 2022
I have never disliked a heroine as much as I did Juliet. I honestly did not get the connection between she and Tristan. The story was good and there was a HEA, but feel Tristan deserved so much better.
183 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2023
Echo Platoon Book 5

Oh I wish this series had no end. Best book so far and the first 3 we’re awesome. Will Juliet ever learn how to love without worry? Will Tristan ever receive her love? Not if the people from decades past have their way. Read and enjoy!!
40 reviews
July 6, 2023
Would've been higher, but...

What's with the shoddy and shallow political theory? Completely unnecessary! I liked the characters, their chemistry, etc but wow was the capitalist propaganda distracting.
6 reviews
October 16, 2017
The Best

This series just keeps getting better so keep up the good work. Romance, suspense, and action. It has it all!
Profile Image for jean buck.
520 reviews2 followers
May 22, 2018
Dependable Seals

I enjoyed this book. The story was free flowing , and easy to follow. It kept your interested. Look forward to next book.
2 reviews
April 7, 2019
A very good romantic, action deal book

I couldn't put this book down. It was very well written. Lot's of action kept me on the edge of my seat.
142 reviews
April 21, 2019
Good Book

Like her writing style. Can not wait till next one. Keep them coming. Hope you write about Hack and Hillary.
Profile Image for Beverly.
1,651 reviews40 followers
June 12, 2020
I dislike heroines who are said to be smart, but continue to make stupid choices.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews