Danger Close

Echo Platoon #1

by Marliss Melton

Navy SEALs Mobilized to Rescue Oil Tycoon's Daughter in the Military Romantic Suspense, Danger Close , by Marliss Melton

--Virginia Beach, VA, 2014 AND The Chaco Boreal, Paraguay, South America, Mondern Day--

Navy SEAL Sam Sasseville resents being called upon to repeatedly rescue Madison Scott—an oil tycoon's daughter—from trouble of her own making. Just weeks after extracting her from drug-riddled Mexico, Maddy disappears into the terrorist-threatened region of El Chaco, Paraguay.

Dedicated to protecting the world's last agricultural frontier from her family-owned oil wells, Maddy knows her long-dead activist mother would approve of her work, even if that blasted Navy SEAL doesn't.

But between the terrorists trying to nab her and the shadowy assassin intent on snuffing out her life, Maddy and Sam discover a common goal—keeping her alive—while Sam faces a difficult love Maddy just the way she is, or walk away with just his pride for company.

PUBLISHER'S Marliss Melton brings her unique personal experience to each story, putting the reader in the center of the action. This story contains colorful language used by real SEALs and sexual situations that typify passionate, strong men and women. Readers who enjoy Hot Seal Romance, women's adventure stories, military romance as well as fans of Gena Showalter, Meli Raine, Teresa Reasor, Dana Marton and Leslie North will enjoy this romantic military suspense series.

"If you like action packed this has got it." ~Verified Reviewer

"Rich with suspense and balanced with equal amounts of romance, this novel is a great read." ~krazyforbooks,Verified Reviewer

THE ECHO PLATOON SERIES, in order
Danger Close
Hard Landing
Friendly Fire
Hot Target
Insider Threat

THE TASKFORCE SERIES, in order
The Protector
The Guardian
The Enforcer

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Military Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Military Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2014

About the author

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

Reviews

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in Marliss Melton's The Echo Platoon Series. Madison Scott is the daughter of an oil tycoon and an environmentalist. Lt. Sam Sasseville is a Navy SEAL that has to rescue her when she is stuck in Mexico. Now she is in Paraguay working for an environmental company testing the area for toxins. Sam is there also tracking terrorists.

I almost didn't read this because when I started it I hated Maddy. She was a typical TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) heroine that I just couldn't stand. Sure, she has good intentions but still...

Well, this is Marliss Melton and I love her books and I kept going anyway. I eventually came to like Maddy and the story was good. Non-stop action and adventure and romance! I will definitely continue this series.

[Pilar S.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha encantado cómo Sam evoluciona a lo largo de la historia. Cómo sus pensamientos pasan de autoconvencerse de ser dueño de sí mismo a aceptar la verdad.

Sam no es un hombre endeble, mucho menos manejable. Sin embargo, lo que no esperaba es que Maddy entrará en su vida como un ciclón, arrasando con todo.

Está claro que podemos engañarnos a nosotros mismos en ciertas cosas, pero al final la verdad, y el destino, pondrá las cosas en su lugar.

Me ha gustado mucho. Recomendable.

[Gemma G. Gegargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me encantan las historias de Seals pero a esta le faltó algo desde el principio, quizás fue por ese comienzo que no entendí.

Sam es un Seal que tiene ordenes de sacar, junto a su equipo, a Maddy de un lugar de conflicto aunque sea en contra de su voluntad, como así fue. Ambos tienen una lucha encarnizada por ello, incluso ella le golpea en la nariz y se la rompe, por lo que él tiene que pedirle a su compañero que le inyecte un sedante. Hasta ahí… más o menos, pero mi primer what! fue cuando al cabo de las semanas él es invitado a una fiesta del padre muy adinerado de Maddy, como invitado de honor, y ella le pide “permiso” para volver a viajar a otro punto conflictivo esta vez en un país de América del sur. No entendí esa situación. No se conocen, ni son amigos siquiera, entonces?
A partir de ahí la historia mejora, es cierto, y atrapa, pero comienzan a sucederse hechos sin tregua que le quita veracidad a la trama, además de algunos diálogos y situaciones infantiles entre Maddy y su padre que me sacan de la lectura.

He visto que se trata de una serie de 5 libros que por ahora no creo que continúe. La he puntuado con 3 estrellas pues hubo un momento del libro que me atrapó y quería ser justa con la autora, no es mala historia pero algo le faltó para mi gusto particular.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Audio Review****
I was in the mood for some thrilling action and a passionate romantic pair so I took up this one and settled in to listen to a rousing good story. The plot delivered on the action and the narrator did an excellent job of drawing me in. This is the first full-length book in a series about a Navy SEAL team full of camaraderie of this team of men, an authentic feel to their world and an exciting and adventurous romance for each guy. For the first book, it is Lt. Sam and a stubborn, fiery environmentalist.

The story opens with Sam and his team being sent into a city on a removal op. A wealthy oil man with some clout has used his connections and power to have the SEALs charged with pulling his headstrong, naive daughter out of a dangerous situation that is growing worse every hour. Maddie Scott ignored the warning that all American citizens needed to leave the Mexican city as the drug cartel took it over. Sam has no use for the rich and is infuriated that he is forced to leave off a legit mission to get a stupid female out of trouble that she wouldn't be in if she didn't act like the rules didn't apply to her. Rescuing Maddie Scott would have been a piece of cake if the female had actually cooperated and didn't fight him and try to escape him the whole time. She seemed under the impression that she, an unarmed, untrained woman, was going to hold off a bunch of pillaging raping criminals from the school of girls where she has been working. Sam pities the girls and can admire Maddie's tender heart, but he wants nothing to do with the spoiled girl who will more than likely tattle to daddy that the big rough SEAL hurt her during the extraction.

Maddie Scott is infuriated that her father pulled strings and removed her from helping the poor girls in that school and since her dad isn't in sight she takes out her wrath on the SEAL that did the actual removal. It galls her, but also shocks her that he is less than impressed by everything about her and only sees her as a pain in the butt and a problem to solve. He thinks her desire to 'save the world' one project and person at a time is hopelessly naive and just a willful ignorance of the dangers involved. Its her dream and she won't give it up. Not for her interfering father or for the infuriating yet attractive Lt. Sasseville. In a surprising twist, their paths cross again, and again, danger is there in the form of terrorists, a possible company cover up and maybe someone who has a personal agenda against her family. Will she ever be able to convince Sam that her work is as necessary as his or will they always be frustrated by opposing ideologies.

This book was both a really good story, but also a tough one to get through for me. I liked the writing, the pace, the strong plot features, the back ground of the characters, and the settings. I liked most of the characters with one exception.

It was that one exception that made this a hard book to finish. I really couldn't stand the heroine probably 90% of the time. She is an environmentalist who is also an idealist and those things in and off themselves didn't bother me, but her stubborn-stupid stunts did. That whole opening scene just got me so mad and almost every encounter with her after that just put me into slow simmer. She didn't have a snowflake's chance in the proverbial to do anything, but get herself raped and/or killed, but she blithely ignores that while she's busy hurling angry words at her rescuer. I swear I was listening to a modern Perils of Pauline serial. Good thing her love interest is a SEAL since rescuing Maddie just filled this story. And that brings me to the romance, I didn't find her witless acts, lack of gratitude and stubbornness that attractive so I really only liked some aspects of the romance development.

That said, there is a lot of other stuff going on in the story that I did appreciate. I was very emotionally engaged through that whole hostage situation and even had a tearful response to a moment of personal sacrifice. I was fascinated each time the SEALs were at work. The bit of intrigue that snuck in wasn't hard for me to figure out, but it sure made things exciting. And even though I wasn't into the romance in one sense, I found the way the author handled the last part more than made up for it. There were some really tough barriers for these two to overcome and the pacing wasn't rushed, but it wasn't drawn out too long either. I appreciated that the author made them work for it and had some individual issues to deal with through it. The Epilogue was just perfect to give a lovely 'ahs' moment.

The narrator was a big strength for this story. I felt he was a good match for the tone and challenges of many male voices and more than one foreign accent. He knew how to make the scenes and characters come alive so that all I heard was the story and not the person delivering it.

To sum things up, I enjoyed the story overall. I think in spite of my issue with the heroine that this is a good start to a new series. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy steamy Romantic Suspense within a military setting.

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to listen to her book in exchange for an honest review.

[Malinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

This was a pretty good story. Maddy was a good heroine (for the most part) and I liked Sam. The story was interesting and kept me engaged.

Maddy is an environmental activists. She's the daughter of a rich oil tycoon but follows in her dead mother's footsteps, fighting for the environment. The problem is that since she's so passionate about her work (seeing it as her "calling"), she often won't stop what she's doing even when she's in imminent danger.

Sam is a latino Navy SEAL. He grew up poor and due to an issue when he was a senior in high school where he was targeted because of his race and income level, he has a very strong prejudice against right people. He's a nice guy outside of his issues with the rich.

When the story begins, Maddy is in a bad situation...the area she's in has been taken over by drug runners but she refused to leave because she wanted to try to protect the girls in a local school from being taken by the drug runners to be sold into the slave trade. TBH, she wasn't much of a deterrent since she had no real fighting or defensive skills but she felt the need to do what she could even if it put herself in the same danger as the girls. Sam and 3 members of his team get called in to rescue her and he's not pleased about it, thinking that she's just another spoiled rich girl that is putting herself in danger and her daddy has enough power to pull his team off of a more important mission to go save her. Obviously, their first meeting doesn't go well be even with that, the attraction between them is pretty obvious.

Maddy and Sam end up being thrown together a couple times...ending in a situation where he's been sent to an area to work against the terrorists that are inhabiting the area and she's gotten a job in that same area testing for pollution due to the oil wells in the area (ones owned by her family's company). They're both surprised to see each other but Sam suspects that her father may have been using his contacts so Sam will be close and can look after her, something that Sam is not happy about. Regardless of this, their attraction flares and things heat up between them. In the meantime, Maddy ends up drawing the attention of some terrorists and becomes a target but she doesn't want to leave because of her work which leads to even more danger. There ends up being multiple threats to her safety and Sam has to work hard to keep her safe. They fall pretty hard for each other while this is happening but Sam does let his prejudices lead him into an act of relationship dumbassedness and it takes a bit for them to work things out. Thankfully, they do and end the story in a nice HEA together.

This was a pretty enjoyable story. I liked Maddy outside of her stupid insistence of her work being more important than her life. She was kind of a TSTL heroine when it came down to it but I guess if she let herself be run off the story wouldn't have progressed... Sam was a good hero and I liked him (except for his stupid move at the end). Once they came to an understanding, they worked pretty well together. I thought the story itself was very good and it kept me engaged through the end. I'm on the edge about recommending it, I guess I would as long as you can deal with a heroine who puts herself in danger (a lot). :)

* note - I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator did a pretty good job...he pronounced all the names of the foreign places well but there were time he seems a bit stiff in his narration.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME!!! Yeah, I know I use that word a lot, but that's what this book was in my opinion. Never have been disappointed in Marliss Melton.

[Sheryl C. Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE AT ITS BEST!!!! And who could turn down a HOT, ALPHA, LATINO SEAL???!!!!! Not me!!!!

[Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars. As with all books starring a Navy Seal, there is a woman needing protection. Lt. Sam Sasseville finds himself having to save Maddy three times. In her work as a environmental activist Maddy often finds herself in dangerous situations in Third World nations.
Sam and Maddy come from totally different socioeconomic backgrounds which is something that really bothers Sam. As he gets to know Maddy better he realizes they have more in common than he thought. As their relationship progresses so does the danger. This book has romance, a little sexy time, some action, and intrigue.
Overall this is a good start for the Echo series. I did notice in Chapter 14 the author referred to a massive stroke and then a few pages later reference the health condition as a heart attack. It’s a pet peeve of mine when an author can’t keep track of her own story. There is also a timeframe inconsistency.

[crashqueen73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled with the heroine in this one. She was totally unaware of her spoiled attitude and yet super sleuth. Annoying.

[Stacie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Entirely too many things happening. Repetitive and could have ended several times before it did. Felt preachy at times and I kind of wished everyone had just died in Paraguay.

[Yohana Tellez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gracias al grupo Romance editorial por cederme el ejemplar, a Marliss ya la había leído y me gusta mucho desarrolla sus historias siempre de Seals, en esta historia conocemos a Sam y a Maddy los dos completamente diferentes, aunque con algo en común querer salvar a los más indefensos, cuando se conocen no lo hacen de buena manera y terminan peleando, hasta que siempre se van cruzando en todos los viajes que realicen y empiezan a compartir más tiempo juntos, no pueden negar esa química que se va creando a su alrededor y juntos tendrán que luchar contra todo para desenmascarar todos los secretos que se esconden alrededor de la historia y también darse una oportunidad en el amor, me gustó mucho el final.

Brújula de Libros.

[Joni Mayhugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This type of book seems pretty popular right now. I've read better and I've read worse. I didn't find the majority of the characters to be very likeable. Maddie was spoiled and rather silly. Her father was almost a caricature of the wealthy overprotective parent. The romantic interest, Sam, was a little more believable. The "bad guy" just needed a handlebar mustache to twirl and he would have been the completely villainous package. There was plenty of adventure and romance and perhaps if I'd liked the characters better, I would have enjoyed the book more.

[Dísir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humph.



Hard to like Maddy, whose assertive independence comes off too much as wilfulness with her dogged insistence on living her mother's spirit. The whole book felt a little cliched, which is a disappointment for all the good reviews I've read about Marliss Melton. Hopefully the next in the series would be better.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This military romance starts off running and doesn’t stop until the very end!

Read full review in the 2014/2015 Holiday issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[KK · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this wasn't my favorite book by this author, I'm certainly glad I read it, and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series to come out.

[Nikki Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Sasseville is not a happy chappie. He and his team have been diverted from fighting terrorists to rescuing some dippy hippy environmentalist who won't listen to evacuation orders!

Her father may be richer than King Midas but Maddie Scott has a dogood streak a mile wide.
She ignored the warnings to leave so that she could protect a group of girls within a school.
But when Sam and his men forcibly remove her from the school she doesn't go easily and has to be drugged.

Fast forward a few weeks and once again Maddie is at the heart of trouble. Her new job taking water samples in Paraguay has landed her in more trouble and again Sam and his men need to save her from herself.

I liked the story but Maddie was kinda annoying. She can't seem to see her own limits and whilst she is trying to do good she can end up making the problem worse. I enjoyed Sam and his teams camaraderie and I'd read the the books in series.

[Cheryl A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was full of suspense and romance. Mandy an environmentalist needed to be rescued in Mexico so Sam a navy SEAL was sent with his team to rescue her. She gave resistance to being rescued because she needed to stay to help the school girls who were being held by the drug lords. Once rescued she’s off again to Paraguay to test the area for contamination from her father’s oil wells. And once again she needs to be rescued from the terrorists in the region. And Sam is there with his team to rescue her again. This is an awesome read.

[Pontiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam and Maddy work internationally, she as an environmentalist and he as a navy SEAL. He starts by rescuing her under orders due to her father’s influence, then they run into each other in Paraguay, a hotbed of terrorism and environmental damage.

The adventure and politics are well written, as is the development of the relationship between Sam and Madison. The characters are fleshed out, the story is tight, it’s a solid book overall.

Really liked it, looking to read more.

KU

[Helena Zelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished a book after, what?, two months?? Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. I did find it a bit cliche at times, especially the end. Every book seems to have the same ending lately. It didn't bother me though because everything else was pretty much fine. My actual rating is 3.5 🌟 it was okay and has potential to be much better but the end blended in with most of the other romance stories out there.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danger Close (Echo Platoon, #1), my second read from author Marliss Melton. Enjoyable, tightly woven & well-written romantic suspense. I'd received a free Audible copy of Take Cover (Echo Platoon #4.5) and read it & enjoyed it greatly and decided to read the series. “I received a free Audible copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review." David Brenin'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).

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it hard to get into this book. I almost gave up twice but am glad I stuck it out. Maddy feels that she owes it to her mother to continue her research. Sam has been tasked to get Maddy out of Mexico before all hell breaks loose. What he didn't expect to find was a beautiful, strong, independent woman with a death wish. Now it's up to him to save her again.

[Deb B · Rating 5 out of 5]

very detailed - much of it set in areas of conflict. a romance between two hard-headed independent people of very high ethical standards but the male lead is exceptionally prejudiced and the female lead very idealistic. makes for great reading. Marliss Melton is one of the best authors in this genre

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Set up was lovely, the interactions between these two were a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed how strongly both felt about their various goals, even when they were afraid those goals would take them away from each other. Overprotective father really sold it. Couldn't put it down.

[Wanita Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Echo Platoon Series, Book 1

Nice first book of a new series. Characters were more interesting as the story went on. Even a few surprises in the expected end and what the final end was. The two main characters took a minute to get the message they belonged together, and that journey was full of a few twists and turns. Good enough read that I’ll be looking for Book 2 now

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters and adventure

This book has wonderful characters that are strong, loyal, loving and lovable, even with their flaws. The story has adventure, suspense, action, and romance. Very enjoyable!

[didi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This is the first time I have read a book of yours and couldn't out it down. I love reading SEALs books and love them with happy endings. Can't wait to read the next book in this series

[Isobel Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy entertaining reading

Enjoyed this first book in The Echo Platoon series. Danger Close. Easy to follow with an entertaining story. Would consider reading the rest of this series.

[Laura Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars though that could be the narrator who shows so very little emotion when reading the book aloud. The story is typical and predictable almost trite. Does keep me wanting to read the next book.

[HELEN CLAWSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Enjoyed from start to finish. The story is very good and the sexual tension between Sam and Marry was very well written. Can't wait to read the next book this series.

[Rebecca Delio · Rating 5 out of 5]

WONDERFUL STORY

My sister got me interested in Marliss Melton books and I have been hooked ever since. I love her stories about Navy Seals...