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Tall, Dark & Dangerous #12
SEAL Camp
Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jim Spaceman Slade's got a problem. A SEAL team is only as fast as its slowest member-and right now, thanks to his battered knees-that's Jim. He reluctantly takes medical leave, but he's a SEAL, so he spends his vacation as an instructor, helping out a former senior chief who runs a camp for SEAL wannabes. But to Jim's shock, he finds himself falling for the one woman attending the camp session-an obviously brilliant but seemingly timid lawyer who is determined to do everything her way, no matter how wrong.
Ashley DeWitt's got a problem, too. She's a kickass lawyer, but when it comes to her personal life, she's a total pushover. When she finds herself hiding behind her condo dumpster to avoid a confrontation with an ex, she decides enough is enough and signs up for a session at a camp called SEAL World, in hopes she'll discover how to be more assertive outside of the courtroom. And then she's assigned to Jim's team ...
When an alpha male-smart, funny, strong, but terrified of a future trapped behind a desk-collides with a smart, funny, and quietly strong woman with a troubled past, sparks fly hot and fast. The tall, dark, and dangerous Navy SEALs of Team Ten are back, with reader favorites like Lucky, Joe Cat, Bobby Taylor and his wife Colleen, Thomas King, Rio Rosetti-and with Suzanne Brockmann's signature blend of love, laughter, and a hint of danger in SEAL Camp.
Ashley DeWitt's got a problem, too. She's a kickass lawyer, but when it comes to her personal life, she's a total pushover. When she finds herself hiding behind her condo dumpster to avoid a confrontation with an ex, she decides enough is enough and signs up for a session at a camp called SEAL World, in hopes she'll discover how to be more assertive outside of the courtroom. And then she's assigned to Jim's team ...
When an alpha male-smart, funny, strong, but terrified of a future trapped behind a desk-collides with a smart, funny, and quietly strong woman with a troubled past, sparks fly hot and fast. The tall, dark, and dangerous Navy SEALs of Team Ten are back, with reader favorites like Lucky, Joe Cat, Bobby Taylor and his wife Colleen, Thomas King, Rio Rosetti-and with Suzanne Brockmann's signature blend of love, laughter, and a hint of danger in SEAL Camp.
Audio CD
First published May 3, 2018
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About the author
Suzanne Brockmann
253 books3,575 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 139 reviews
July 15, 2018
Once upon a time I loved Suzanne Brockmann's writing and I inhaled every single book of hers I could get my paws on. Then she got all preachy in a super annoying, heavy-handed way about the LGBT issues. I do not mind her including those stories and issues (she is a talented writer who could weave a story like no other), but she went about it in a way that felt as if she held me by the neck with one hand while hitting my head with a hammer with the other, all the while yelling: "We want equality! We want same sex marriage! Solve LGBT problems NOW!" and so we parted ways for many years.
When I saw that this book came out and read the blurb, I was excited to read it because I really really loved her books way back when, and this story sounded really interesting. Well, whaddaya know, Suz is back at her pulpit, yelling and swinging that hammer, only now it is about misogyny and toxic masculinity and the culture of rape. Yeah, it's a nope for me. I finished the book, disliked the resolution as much as the preaching and I can now say that I am not going to waste any more of my money or time on Suzanne Brockmann because she can't seem to master any semblance of moderation and I do not need to be preached at by her - or anybody else. It is a sad irony that I actually agree with her point of view on all of these issues and I get what she is trying to do, but her methods leave a lot to be desired.
When I saw that this book came out and read the blurb, I was excited to read it because I really really loved her books way back when, and this story sounded really interesting. Well, whaddaya know, Suz is back at her pulpit, yelling and swinging that hammer, only now it is about misogyny and toxic masculinity and the culture of rape. Yeah, it's a nope for me. I finished the book, disliked the resolution as much as the preaching and I can now say that I am not going to waste any more of my money or time on Suzanne Brockmann because she can't seem to master any semblance of moderation and I do not need to be preached at by her - or anybody else. It is a sad irony that I actually agree with her point of view on all of these issues and I get what she is trying to do, but her methods leave a lot to be desired.
March 22, 2021
3/22/2021 - Audio is $2.99 on chirp! (Actually a lot of them are on sale, but this was one of two I was missing.)
5/5/2018 - Yes it was just released today and yes I read the whole thing. Because Suzanne Brockmann! Brockmann has gone back to her SEAL beginnings and is adding on to the Tall, Dark, & Dangerous series. (moment of mourning that there's no Izzy here.) While it's been 10+ years since the last TDD book, this falls right in line and includes familiar folks from the series as if no time has passed, without the awkward "retrofitting" of archaic technology/current events/etc. Writers prerogative and I think it completely works. As usual, Brockmann's characters have faults, learn a lot, grow, and no one is better at giving us strong women ~ even if a bit vulnerable.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? 2 things.
A. is Possibly Spoiler-ish:
B. This reads more like a rom-com and less like the action/adventure/Military I so look forward to when reading Brockmann's SEAL novels. I acknowledge that her Troubleshooters series is a different "world", but it sets a much higher bar for bringing together several story arcs, even from within the same novel, that I just don't see in this book.
Do I regret reading or buying it? No way. I probably just would have enjoyed more if it were listed as a novella or ancillary companion to the series that let me know it wasn't going to be SEAL/Military/SpecOps action.
5/5/2018 - Yes it was just released today and yes I read the whole thing. Because Suzanne Brockmann! Brockmann has gone back to her SEAL beginnings and is adding on to the Tall, Dark, & Dangerous series. (moment of mourning that there's no Izzy here.) While it's been 10+ years since the last TDD book, this falls right in line and includes familiar folks from the series as if no time has passed, without the awkward "retrofitting" of archaic technology/current events/etc. Writers prerogative and I think it completely works. As usual, Brockmann's characters have faults, learn a lot, grow, and no one is better at giving us strong women ~ even if a bit vulnerable.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? 2 things.
A. is Possibly Spoiler-ish:
B. This reads more like a rom-com and less like the action/adventure/Military I so look forward to when reading Brockmann's SEAL novels. I acknowledge that her Troubleshooters series is a different "world", but it sets a much higher bar for bringing together several story arcs, even from within the same novel, that I just don't see in this book.
Do I regret reading or buying it? No way. I probably just would have enjoyed more if it were listed as a novella or ancillary companion to the series that let me know it wasn't going to be SEAL/Military/SpecOps action.
May 7, 2018
Yay. The return of Seal Team Ten, last heard of in 2003. Suzanne Brockmann returns to her pre-Troubleshooters simpler SEALs with the story of Ashley de Witt and Jim "Spaceman" Slade with cameos from a lot of the old crew. And by magic they all haven't aged a bit the action picking up shortly after the end of the last book despite the fifteen year hiatus. (Suzanne owns this however with a full disclosure in the prologue)
These are enjoyable romance tales where sassy girls find true love with honourable men and Suzanne Brockmann isn't shy about letting her own personal views shine through . So glad she is writing about these guys again and can't wait for the promised book when Thomas King finally finds love with Tasha that has been a generation in the making.
These are enjoyable romance tales where sassy girls find true love with honourable men and Suzanne Brockmann isn't shy about letting her own personal views shine through . So glad she is writing about these guys again and can't wait for the promised book when Thomas King finally finds love with Tasha that has been a generation in the making.
April 16, 2019
Well this was miserable. And it got me riled up enough to stop me going back to sleep.
Chapter 75, 498 in why I don’t read m/f much any more.
So in this one, SB goes into misogyny, rape culture, and toxic masculinity, to quote a fellow one starring reviewer. She does so effectively.
Here’s the problem: she is writing an m/f romance, which means a female audience.
So the book is told mostly from the man’s POV. So he sees this woman being treated like shit. He treats her like shit. She deals. As she does all the time every day, as we all (you know, women, ) do. Men keep treating her like garbage. She deals.
She goes on a SEAL training camp. She’s treated badly by many men. Some of the men are seeing what is going on, and just let it go on. It gets so bad she leaves. Men go on their merry way.
More men treat her badly. Story goes on. Men treat her badly the way most of us have been treated over our lives. This is not news to women readers.
Parallel, the man, (not calling him the Hero) who is a SEAL, is off work due to knee injuries, & knee surgery. He’s on medical leave. Yet somehow he decides to go off to be an instructor on this seal training camp, and is constant pain injury because of knees, so woman is always caring about it and arranging ice for his knees. WTAF is this bullshit? The man has extremely poor judgement. And he’s an officer? Not reassuring.
I’m skimming at this point. I don’t think he’s a good fit for her. I am uninterested in his mental/emotional journey.
We see lots of the characters from books I read 15 - 20 years ago. Don’t care. Crapping on about their kids n’shit. Or whatever. Someone is having a baby. Joy.
At some point in there she explains to him why she doesn’t get angry and aggressive when alone in an alley with a couple of large threatening men trying to assault her. Revelation! Women put considerable care into not being assaulted, raped and murdered by men! Who knew!?
....so this book was a waste of my time. Maybe if you want a book that illustrates patriarchy and toxic masculinity it might do.
It does not, in my mind, succeed as a romance, as this excellent clever woman ending up with this unfortunate specimen is not a good result. Ehem. Why I rarely read m/f romance now.
Chapter 75, 498 in why I don’t read m/f much any more.
So in this one, SB goes into misogyny, rape culture, and toxic masculinity, to quote a fellow one starring reviewer. She does so effectively.
Here’s the problem: she is writing an m/f romance, which means a female audience.
So the book is told mostly from the man’s POV. So he sees this woman being treated like shit. He treats her like shit. She deals. As she does all the time every day, as we all (you know, women, ) do. Men keep treating her like garbage. She deals.
She goes on a SEAL training camp. She’s treated badly by many men. Some of the men are seeing what is going on, and just let it go on. It gets so bad she leaves. Men go on their merry way.
More men treat her badly. Story goes on. Men treat her badly the way most of us have been treated over our lives. This is not news to women readers.
Parallel, the man, (not calling him the Hero) who is a SEAL, is off work due to knee injuries, & knee surgery. He’s on medical leave. Yet somehow he decides to go off to be an instructor on this seal training camp, and is constant pain injury because of knees, so woman is always caring about it and arranging ice for his knees. WTAF is this bullshit? The man has extremely poor judgement. And he’s an officer? Not reassuring.
I’m skimming at this point. I don’t think he’s a good fit for her. I am uninterested in his mental/emotional journey.
We see lots of the characters from books I read 15 - 20 years ago. Don’t care. Crapping on about their kids n’shit. Or whatever. Someone is having a baby. Joy.
At some point in there she explains to him why she doesn’t get angry and aggressive when alone in an alley with a couple of large threatening men trying to assault her. Revelation! Women put considerable care into not being assaulted, raped and murdered by men! Who knew!?
....so this book was a waste of my time. Maybe if you want a book that illustrates patriarchy and toxic masculinity it might do.
It does not, in my mind, succeed as a romance, as this excellent clever woman ending up with this unfortunate specimen is not a good result. Ehem. Why I rarely read m/f romance now.
December 8, 2018
Quite an interesting forward to the book. Ms. Brockmann has taken her platform as a bestselling author to "school" those who are not as politically correct as she is. Aside from the overtly PC line in the book, several characters from the Tall, Dark and Dangerous books make an appearance in "Seal Camp" including one of my favorites, Lucky. As always, the book is a wonderful romance with a touch of suspense as only Ms. Brockmann can write. I'm so glad she has picked this series up again, it's one of my favorites.
Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jim “Spaceman” Slade’s career as a SEAL is coming to an end way before he is ready for it to end. Jim is a big guy and his knees are not up to the grueling demands that a SEAL puts on his body and Jim knows that he could very well put his Team in danger if he continues. He takes the time he is on medical leave to help a former Senior Chief with SEAL World, a camp for corporate types who want to experience the SEAL life, and to decide where he goes from here.
Ashley DeWitt is an attorney and can mix it up with the best - in the courtroom. In her personal live she tends to be timid and overly polite, avoiding confrontation at all costs, even hiding instead of confronting an ex. She hopes that her week at SEAL World will help her with that little problem.
Jim sees Ashley's problem right away and decides to help her. He sees her brilliant grasp of problems and along with her stunning good looks, he finds himself falling for her. His methods back fire, but the sparks catch fire for them both.
Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jim “Spaceman” Slade’s career as a SEAL is coming to an end way before he is ready for it to end. Jim is a big guy and his knees are not up to the grueling demands that a SEAL puts on his body and Jim knows that he could very well put his Team in danger if he continues. He takes the time he is on medical leave to help a former Senior Chief with SEAL World, a camp for corporate types who want to experience the SEAL life, and to decide where he goes from here.
Ashley DeWitt is an attorney and can mix it up with the best - in the courtroom. In her personal live she tends to be timid and overly polite, avoiding confrontation at all costs, even hiding instead of confronting an ex. She hopes that her week at SEAL World will help her with that little problem.
Jim sees Ashley's problem right away and decides to help her. He sees her brilliant grasp of problems and along with her stunning good looks, he finds himself falling for her. His methods back fire, but the sparks catch fire for them both.
May 14, 2018
Rant wrapped in a romance story. Suzanne Brockmann used to be one of my automatic buys. She was a thoughtful, funny and talented author who wrote an incredible story that made you cry, laugh, sigh and feel the emotions the characters were experiencing. However, now her stories are mediocre and make me feel like I'm getting a lecture about how unenlightened and horrible everyone is, which she keeps hammering away at the ENTIRE story. I am totally onboard with educating the public about sensitivity and acceptance of the LBGTQ community and abolishing other outdated, unacceptable cultural norms, but I don't wish to spend money paying for her political platform that anyone can get for free in her newsletter. More than likely won't be buying any more of her books, which makes me sad, but I read to enjoy, not to be slapped in the face every couple of chapters and made to feel not worthy.
June 23, 2018
Great like all the other books.
But also just a tiny bit too preachy.
I love Suzanne for all she stands and fights for ... but for such books it could be a bit less. Just make it a great romantic suspense with a bit about those near-to-your-heart moments. But not too much. The romance part here was not really happening because everyone was always apologizing and ugh. Too much. But I still loved reading it and I will keep on reading all your books!
♥
But also just a tiny bit too preachy.
I love Suzanne for all she stands and fights for ... but for such books it could be a bit less. Just make it a great romantic suspense with a bit about those near-to-your-heart moments. But not too much. The romance part here was not really happening because everyone was always apologizing and ugh. Too much. But I still loved reading it and I will keep on reading all your books!
♥
July 19, 2018
Heroine’s got a seriously defeatist attitude and the personality of... a doormat. The hero is also lacking in personality and depth. The blurb made this book sound like something I would absolutely love but it was... meh. I would have preferred more banter, more building of anticipation. As it stands the heroine cares for the hero too soon and vice versa (hero is in love after a few days...........yeah.), and then the author gets into ridiculous reasons to keep them apart (doesn’t feel good enough for her, wrongful assumptions, etc.). It makes their story boring. Helping make their story boring is also the fact that nothing happens. There’s no plot line, or if there’s one it’s so stinking weak I missed it! And what’s up with the hero willing so badly to make the heroine angry?! And that ending? I mean, no plot line and no conflict resolution? They sit next to one another and that’s it? She forgives him? Out of the blue? I would give this book 1 star but I have this stupid rule that if I finish a crappy book then it deserves 2. But don’t be fooled; that’s just me being rigid.
March 5, 2020
Navy SEAL Jim Slade is once again on medical leave because of injuries to his knees. This time he'll be resting his knees while being an instructor at a camp for people who want to go through some the training that the SEALs go through. Ashley DeWitt is a lawyer who has signed up for the training. She's hoping that it will help her be more assertive with the people in her life. Ashley and Jim clash at their first meeting. The next day when he pics her for his team, she knows it is going to be a long week.
It's been approximately 17 years since Suzanne Brockmann wrote the Tall, Dark and Dangerous series. This book continues the series and is set approximately 1.5 years after book 11. Several characters from the past books make appearances. I enjoyed this contemporary romance until the "she's better off without me" trope. Luckily, that didn't last too long. My rating: 4 Stars.
It's been approximately 17 years since Suzanne Brockmann wrote the Tall, Dark and Dangerous series. This book continues the series and is set approximately 1.5 years after book 11. Several characters from the past books make appearances. I enjoyed this contemporary romance until the "she's better off without me" trope. Luckily, that didn't last too long. My rating: 4 Stars.
September 16, 2019
I prefer my Brockmann books a little more high stakes than this one, but I'll take them however I can get them since they're rarer than hen's teeth these days.
The book was also overtly feminist and political (*cough* pussy-grabber-in-chief *cough*) but since she was just saying exactly that I've been thinking, I didn't mind it.
The book was also overtly feminist and political (*cough* pussy-grabber-in-chief *cough*) but since she was just saying exactly that I've been thinking, I didn't mind it.
May 8, 2018
Four and a half stars. I deducted half a star because it was too damn short!
Ashley DeWitt is a lawyer who specialises in helping women and children in need, often to get away from abusive partners. However, no matter how fierce in the courtroom she's a pussy when it comes to confrontation, preferring to avoid rather than challenge. For example, her slimy ex-fiancee Brad comes to her apartment and she hides behind a dumpster rather than tell him to get lost. That incident was the final straw, so she enrols herself in SEAL World, a week long course run by SEALs really for SEAL wannabees but hey, it might help her with her assertiveness, right?
First problem? Her controlling father has 'gifted' her little brother Clark and his college roommate Kenneth places on the same course, ostensibly as a birthday gift for Clark but really so that Clark can give him updates on Ashley. Second problem? Women don't really go on these courses (SEAL wannabees) and the SEALs had no idea that A. DeWitt was a female. Third problem? Two sexist pigs called Todd and Bull who are out to humiliate and belittle her at every turn. Fourth problem? One extremely sexy SEAL called Lieutenant Jim 'Spaceman' Slade who calls her the sexy au-pair when he first sees her.
Jim Slade is in a bad place. With two bum knees he knows his days in the Teams are numbered - he just hasn't figured out what could possibly take their place. One of the younger SEALs asks if he could sub in at short notice as an instructor at SEAL World and he agrees. Little does he realise that his most eager trainee will also be the one he can't keep his hands off.
It's been FIVE years since I least read one of Suzanne's Tall, Dark and Dangerous series (what can I say, I came to them late) and yet this one was just as sexy, just as emotional and just as fun as I remember them. Jim Slade is a typical SEAL, Teams through and through, with little thought about anything but the navy. The knowledge that his knees will force him to retire has hit him like a truck and he is wallowing in self-pity. Then he meets this gorgeous pixie, she's beautiful, smart, funny, everything a man could want in a woman. But what could she ever see in him right? Watch these two spark and spar and help each other out and fall in love with Jim Slade.
At a time when I have DNFd so many contemporary romances this was a breath of fresh air - all I needed was a SEAL with a sense of humour, who knew?
Ashley DeWitt is a lawyer who specialises in helping women and children in need, often to get away from abusive partners. However, no matter how fierce in the courtroom she's a pussy when it comes to confrontation, preferring to avoid rather than challenge. For example, her slimy ex-fiancee Brad comes to her apartment and she hides behind a dumpster rather than tell him to get lost. That incident was the final straw, so she enrols herself in SEAL World, a week long course run by SEALs really for SEAL wannabees but hey, it might help her with her assertiveness, right?
First problem? Her controlling father has 'gifted' her little brother Clark and his college roommate Kenneth places on the same course, ostensibly as a birthday gift for Clark but really so that Clark can give him updates on Ashley. Second problem? Women don't really go on these courses (SEAL wannabees) and the SEALs had no idea that A. DeWitt was a female. Third problem? Two sexist pigs called Todd and Bull who are out to humiliate and belittle her at every turn. Fourth problem? One extremely sexy SEAL called Lieutenant Jim 'Spaceman' Slade who calls her the sexy au-pair when he first sees her.
Jim Slade is in a bad place. With two bum knees he knows his days in the Teams are numbered - he just hasn't figured out what could possibly take their place. One of the younger SEALs asks if he could sub in at short notice as an instructor at SEAL World and he agrees. Little does he realise that his most eager trainee will also be the one he can't keep his hands off.
It's been FIVE years since I least read one of Suzanne's Tall, Dark and Dangerous series (what can I say, I came to them late) and yet this one was just as sexy, just as emotional and just as fun as I remember them. Jim Slade is a typical SEAL, Teams through and through, with little thought about anything but the navy. The knowledge that his knees will force him to retire has hit him like a truck and he is wallowing in self-pity. Then he meets this gorgeous pixie, she's beautiful, smart, funny, everything a man could want in a woman. But what could she ever see in him right? Watch these two spark and spar and help each other out and fall in love with Jim Slade.
At a time when I have DNFd so many contemporary romances this was a breath of fresh air - all I needed was a SEAL with a sense of humour, who knew?
May 14, 2018
I was so excited to visit Team 10 again and I love her author's voice, the writing style has always really clicked for me. Two reasons I only gave 4 stars. First, the big misunderstanding, I felt Ashley made him work way too hard considering what he did. Second, why do some people and in this instance, the author, think they are going to change anyone's mind on politics by attacking the opposition's political views? I agree with most of what she said but it still made me cringe and took me out of the story. I imagine she alienated anyone who doesn't believe as she does, not convinced them to come over to her side.
May 8, 2018
Read in one evening. I was never as into TDD as Troubleshooters (they`re shorter and less complex), but I`m always happy to read a new Suzanne Brockmann book. Two characters with genuine problems, a fun setting, great dialogue and steaminess!
July 17, 2018
I’ve read several books by this author, and have generally enjoyed them. What happened???
In an attempt to bolster her confidence, Ashley signs up for a week at SEAL camp where she meets Jim Slade, a SEAL and one of the camp instructors, who’s on leave while rehabbing his injured knees. While there’s mutual attraction, Ashley’s determined to steer clear of any emotional involvement, and Jim’s well aware of his career’s impact on relationships. However, as the camp days pass, Jim comes to admire Ashley’s quiet determination, and she....well...she never seems to like much of anything about Jim....
Initially, Ashley’s presented as a heroine who will do anything to avoid confrontation, e.g., hiding behind a dumpster rather than having to talk with her ex. But then we learn that she’s not afraid, rather, she is ruthlessly suppressing her anger...and, apparently, most other emotions as well. I was expecting that we would see Ashley change during the story, that she would learn that her fear and anger could be used constructively....Nah. She just keeps on being a bitch.
Poor Jim!!! Even as he’s falling for her, Ashley throws his feelings back in his face, accusing him of misogyny, of patronizing her, and not being a mind-reader. She won’t accept his many abject apologies, and just walks out on him.
Yes...eventually when Jim has groveled enough, Ashley takes him back. What I couldn’t figure out was why Jim wanted to get back together with such a stone cold ball-buster.
In an attempt to bolster her confidence, Ashley signs up for a week at SEAL camp where she meets Jim Slade, a SEAL and one of the camp instructors, who’s on leave while rehabbing his injured knees. While there’s mutual attraction, Ashley’s determined to steer clear of any emotional involvement, and Jim’s well aware of his career’s impact on relationships. However, as the camp days pass, Jim comes to admire Ashley’s quiet determination, and she....well...she never seems to like much of anything about Jim....
Initially, Ashley’s presented as a heroine who will do anything to avoid confrontation, e.g., hiding behind a dumpster rather than having to talk with her ex. But then we learn that she’s not afraid, rather, she is ruthlessly suppressing her anger...and, apparently, most other emotions as well. I was expecting that we would see Ashley change during the story, that she would learn that her fear and anger could be used constructively....Nah. She just keeps on being a bitch.
Poor Jim!!! Even as he’s falling for her, Ashley throws his feelings back in his face, accusing him of misogyny, of patronizing her, and not being a mind-reader. She won’t accept his many abject apologies, and just walks out on him.
Yes...eventually when Jim has groveled enough, Ashley takes him back. What I couldn’t figure out was why Jim wanted to get back together with such a stone cold ball-buster.
April 29, 2020
I have really really enjoyed so many of Brockmann's books, this book was truly terrible, like deeply deeply bad. I even googled to see if she had a ghost writer, because it a had a totally different voice from past books I've read by her. The plot was deadly dull, the charcters were unlikable, there was a lot of preachy ranting interspersed with characters behaving in very unsympathetic ways. It was just bad. so bad.
December 3, 2019
Scene: SEAL CAMP goes on sale. Adele gets notification.
Adele: Checks reviews, the first of few bewail “liberal agenda” and basically how dare Brockmann respect people who aren’t straight or white or abled?
Adele: One-clicks.
Adele: Reads
Adele: Four-stars. A fast, fun read and I love the fact that she fast-forwarded the TD&D world into the age of smartphones and ubiquitous wi-fi.
Adele: Checks reviews, the first of few bewail “liberal agenda” and basically how dare Brockmann respect people who aren’t straight or white or abled?
Adele: One-clicks.
Adele: Reads
Adele: Four-stars. A fast, fun read and I love the fact that she fast-forwarded the TD&D world into the age of smartphones and ubiquitous wi-fi.
February 2, 2021
I have loved so many of Brockmann's books, but this was, well, terrible. It was a C- for me.
For pretty much the whole book, Jim's convinced that the problem Ashley is facing is that she doesn't feel she can get angry and show it when faced with horrific sexism and male aggression. He seems to think the problem is that she needs grow a spine and be able to confront people when needed. Furthermore, for a lot of the book it appears that this is what the narrative is proposing.
To Brockmann's credit, she does have Ashley near the end making the point strongly to him that for a woman it's often just not safe to confront male bad behaviour, and that de-escalation is often the only way to get out of a situation unharmed. But this was very, very late in the process. For most of the book, I was angry at the way the situation was portrayed. I found myself blaming Jim and his instructor colleagues for allowing one camp attendee to behave towards another in the extremely abusive and harassing way that that arsehole Bull did towards Ashley.
Even if Jim and his colleagues thought they'd be doing Ashley a favour by helping her access her aggression, sorry, but long before it's a woman's responsibility to stand up for herself against that kind of behaviour, it's the responsibility of the decent men around the arsehole to make it clear to him that they think badly of him for it. This never happens onscreen. There's a suggestion that Bull and his little friend are told off by the guy running the camp, but that seems to be more about their behaviour during a particular exercise, than about them being mediocre, toxic pieces of shit. This was super frustrating.
The romance was extremely meh. I did not understand Jim's behaviour and the reasons he pushed Ashley away at key points. Mostly, I was so angry at him that I just wanted Ashley to rip him a new one, not kiss him.
A lot of the plot is taken up by catching up with people from earlier books. I liked those books, but had zero interest in catching up.
Finally, Brockmann's voice, normally so distinctive and clear, felt muddled. I think this may have needed some extensive editing.
For pretty much the whole book, Jim's convinced that the problem Ashley is facing is that she doesn't feel she can get angry and show it when faced with horrific sexism and male aggression. He seems to think the problem is that she needs grow a spine and be able to confront people when needed. Furthermore, for a lot of the book it appears that this is what the narrative is proposing.
To Brockmann's credit, she does have Ashley near the end making the point strongly to him that for a woman it's often just not safe to confront male bad behaviour, and that de-escalation is often the only way to get out of a situation unharmed. But this was very, very late in the process. For most of the book, I was angry at the way the situation was portrayed. I found myself blaming Jim and his instructor colleagues for allowing one camp attendee to behave towards another in the extremely abusive and harassing way that that arsehole Bull did towards Ashley.
Even if Jim and his colleagues thought they'd be doing Ashley a favour by helping her access her aggression, sorry, but long before it's a woman's responsibility to stand up for herself against that kind of behaviour, it's the responsibility of the decent men around the arsehole to make it clear to him that they think badly of him for it. This never happens onscreen. There's a suggestion that Bull and his little friend are told off by the guy running the camp, but that seems to be more about their behaviour during a particular exercise, than about them being mediocre, toxic pieces of shit. This was super frustrating.
The romance was extremely meh. I did not understand Jim's behaviour and the reasons he pushed Ashley away at key points. Mostly, I was so angry at him that I just wanted Ashley to rip him a new one, not kiss him.
A lot of the plot is taken up by catching up with people from earlier books. I liked those books, but had zero interest in catching up.
Finally, Brockmann's voice, normally so distinctive and clear, felt muddled. I think this may have needed some extensive editing.
April 22, 2025
So I got this book by accident and did not realize that this was book twelve of a series were each member of SEAL Team Ten finds love. This led me to not getting the inside jokes between them all as well as not caring about the nicknames lucky, rio, Duncan,spaceman,skid marks ( that one is not one but could easily fit in). I don’t read romance books but the pacing was just weird, one paragraph it was talking about how nice her nipples look and then the next paragraph goes on a speech about feminism, someone is really injured… well better start making out. There were some social justice elements which does not bother me as much as some other reviewers but they were said in a dialogue that people don’t use and seemed really force and unnatural. Spaceman was afraid of hurting her so he told her that he only had sex with her to make her mad and that this would help her with her confidence problems… that went about as well as you could think. This part seemed to be written by a man because he reads a lot of feminist books and watches queer eye to redeem himself in her eyes. This actually works!!! This book got lazy, someone breaks into her apartment and you think it is brad her crazy stalker ex fiancé, it is an ex husband of one of her clients looking for his ex wife…. Don’t worry spaceman comes to the rescue. Then we have the brad problem, this book starts with her hiding behind a trash can because he is looking for her and that is why she needs to go to this camp to get confidence to stand up to him, as this story develops we find that her father paid him to try and marry her and convince her to join his big paying law firm, we also find out towards the end of the story that she had lunch with brad and he was only looking for her to tell her that he got engaged and was moving on…. So that story line went nowhere and he gets a happy ending. Also she never becomes more confident she met with brad yes, but she was happy for him, only told off her father over the phone and was a nervous wreck thinking of meeting spaceman at a party which they end up making up and out in front of everyone. There is a line said by spaceman’s that if you are reading an inaccurate and sloppy book about SEALS you should throw it against the wall…. I might just do that spaceman, thanks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2018
When I received the newsletter from Suzanne Brockmann announcing her brand new release, SEAL Camp, a flutter of excitement (Okay, more like a squeal) erupted from my chest.
I hopped on over to Amazon and bought a copy with the plan of reading it as soon as I finished my current book. Yeah, that didn't last for long :)
When Lieutenant Jim Slade is forced into downtime because of damaged knees, he reluctantly agrees to become an instructor at his former Senior Chief's new business, SEAL Camp- a place where corporate types can go to try their hand at a toned down version of BUD/s training for a week.
He doesn't expect to run into a woman out there- beautiful, but timid lawyer Ashley DeWitt.
Ashley is tired of her pushover attitude and hopes the camp will teach her how to be more assertive. She doesn't expect her tall, dark, and dangerously handsome SEAL instructor to also be smart, funny, and vulnerable.
Can two people with serious issues learn they're stronger than they think? Strong enough to give romance a chance?
There's no one better than Suzanne Brockmann for creating relatable heroes. Readers can't help but fall in love with them and the heroines who open their guarded hearts.
I give SEAL Camp 5+ lovely kisses- And urge you to read Suzanne Brockmann, you won't regret it!!
I hopped on over to Amazon and bought a copy with the plan of reading it as soon as I finished my current book. Yeah, that didn't last for long :)
When Lieutenant Jim Slade is forced into downtime because of damaged knees, he reluctantly agrees to become an instructor at his former Senior Chief's new business, SEAL Camp- a place where corporate types can go to try their hand at a toned down version of BUD/s training for a week.
He doesn't expect to run into a woman out there- beautiful, but timid lawyer Ashley DeWitt.
Ashley is tired of her pushover attitude and hopes the camp will teach her how to be more assertive. She doesn't expect her tall, dark, and dangerously handsome SEAL instructor to also be smart, funny, and vulnerable.
Can two people with serious issues learn they're stronger than they think? Strong enough to give romance a chance?
There's no one better than Suzanne Brockmann for creating relatable heroes. Readers can't help but fall in love with them and the heroines who open their guarded hearts.
I give SEAL Camp 5+ lovely kisses- And urge you to read Suzanne Brockmann, you won't regret it!!
May 18, 2018
So glad the TDD team is back!
I have been a long time reader of Suzanne Brockmann, back when I had to actually stalk bookstores for her books. This series and this group of guys were some of my favorites of her books. This book had all the elements that I have come to look for in her stories...great plot, some laugh out loud moments and some amazing emotional scenes. I hope we see more of this series.
I have been a long time reader of Suzanne Brockmann, back when I had to actually stalk bookstores for her books. This series and this group of guys were some of my favorites of her books. This book had all the elements that I have come to look for in her stories...great plot, some laugh out loud moments and some amazing emotional scenes. I hope we see more of this series.
December 27, 2018
still re-reading old favourites. love Ms Brockmann's work and love Seal Team Ten. the basic plots are a bit repetitive but they are well executed with enough variation to keep each story interesting.
didn't read this one when I originally devoured this series so books 11 & 12 are new for me but I love them just as much and def look forward to book 13 next year to see Thomas and Tash get their hea.
didn't read this one when I originally devoured this series so books 11 & 12 are new for me but I love them just as much and def look forward to book 13 next year to see Thomas and Tash get their hea.
May 6, 2018
TDD is back!
I had pretty much abandoned romance, but suddenly, surprisingly, there's Suz and the SEALs, and here I am, back again. Thank you for making me smile, cry, and thoroughly enjoy getting to know Jim and Ashley.
I had pretty much abandoned romance, but suddenly, surprisingly, there's Suz and the SEALs, and here I am, back again. Thank you for making me smile, cry, and thoroughly enjoy getting to know Jim and Ashley.
April 12, 2019
I really loved reading about members of SEAL Team 10 again. And while I would be happy to read any future books in the series, I hope the author will tone down the preachiness. I agree with her feelings, bit it was simply too much. WAY too much when it got in the way of the story.
May 22, 2018
Great read!
So nice to see some familiar names! Enjoyed it, and it was a great excuse to reread all the previous books in the series.
So nice to see some familiar names! Enjoyed it, and it was a great excuse to reread all the previous books in the series.
May 7, 2018
Another fun SEAL read from Suzanne Brockmann's "Tall, Dark and Dangerous" series.
May 8, 2018
It has been awhile since I’ve visited this series, so I was excited that this book was suddenly released. It didn’t disappoint. I love that Suzanne Brockmann can ask us to embrace the time warp, which I did, and it totally worked. Great writing as always! She always creates real, flawed characters that I fall in love with every single time.
4.5 stars.
4.5 stars.
September 27, 2018
Brockmann once again bravely goes where so few dare, even in romance. Not only does she brilliantly incorporate #metoo, sexism, harassment, and racial and gender profiling into this action romance, but also the intense emotional burden experienced by someone in a physical profession -like a Navy SEAL - feels on aging out or forced retirement from physical impairment.
Fits 2018 ATY #34. suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call - book (fiction or nonfiction) about a subject that made headlines (#metoo, sexual harassment).
Fits 2018 ATY #34. suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call - book (fiction or nonfiction) about a subject that made headlines (#metoo, sexual harassment).
June 16, 2021
I read the TDD series about ten years ago, but it ended with 'Night Watch'. So to re-read the series, I had to include two new (post 2003) books, starting with this one. Which was a pain to procure. First, I tried to get this at the library. All they had was HOOPLA audio, and the man reading this? HomiGAWSH, run away, run away!!! I mean this: DO NOT get the audio version. It was so gawd awful I made it less than four minutes in.
And that was AFTER the female voice reading the acknowledgements, in which Brockmann endorses violence against other human beings. "If you have do fight with things other than words, don't hurt your hand". Now, I'm not saying Nazis, KKK, or other hate groups are good people - I'm saying Suz calling for violence against human beings in her forward is WRONG. I'm absolutely appalled.
Then came the book. We have Alan 'Frisco' Fransisco, who's a SEAL who's had countless knee surgeries and is older but doesn't want to retire, because then what would he be? He's not a man if he's not a SEAL. Ooops! Wait, this isn't about Alan - that was 'Frisco's Kid'. In THIS book, we have Jim 'Spaceman' Slade, who's a SEAL who's had countless knee surgeries and is older but doesn't want to retire, because what would he be? He's not a man if he's not...
Wait. Just... wait a second.
IT'S THE SAME THING,
ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!
And as if that wasn't enough...? Insert yet ANOTHER stalker. Because every. single. book. that. she. writes anymore is stalker plots. Good night, this is getting so freakin' old...!! It's *supposed* to be about SEAL camp, but all of the characters 'ring out', and it becomes a stalker story. A-Gain. The SAME THING, over and over.
I was gonna say that about the forward. Let's see... Suz on the LGBT soapbox, before we even see the words 'Chapter One'... the same thing all over again. But I politely let her have her little repetitive thing, and moved to the book to find... the same thing, all over again. ((((sigh!!)))) At at $6.99 for the KINDLE version, hello. I get freebies that are more imaginative with their characters/plots than this. The ONLY reason I bought this was because I never read it and hate to leave series unfinished. ((Except the Troubleshooters. That was my one exception, of ALL series I've ever read. So I shouldn't be surprised this series was rapidly circling the toilet drain, now that she's picked it back up...))
This book starts off at a SEAL-esque camp in Florida that an ex-SEAL opened to the public. It's a week-long training camp, and Ashley and her two brothers are signed up to participate. ((Which translated immediately to me as a reader to be about Suz, her son and his partner. Because it FELT like what she was doing, and that sullied it further for me. "We're not gay", says Clark, to try to counter that. But Suz's purple suitcase for him is just one of the actions that doesn't match her words... and there are a LOT of them, starting back in the last book. So... which one is it that the saying indicate speaks louder, by the way...? Actions of characters, or their words? Hrm, I forget. But then she has to pacify the readers who've been giving her low reviews/ratings by making Clark like Kenneth's sister... who isn't in this (or the last, or *any* book) - she's just SAID to be his luvv because Suz needs her to be. Add to that the fact that not in any part of any book in any universe has Clark shown any interest in anything but being with Kenneth, so... yeah, but no.))
So next we have Ashley. Ashley is a lawyer who's afraid of everything, hides from her ex-boyfriends, cowers from her dad... like I said when introduced to her in Night Watch - I grew up in a controlling environment. You *breathe* freedom when you move out. And Ashley wasn't even controlled - she went to college, got a roommate, moved across the country... Suz doesn't know what a *CONTROLLING* parent is, I swear. This cowering damsel made of jelly doesn't jive. At all. We're TOLD that she's a 'strong' woman, but there's not a thing Ashley does that proves she's 'strong' - she hides behind a dumpster, won't take her father's calls, falls back on Jim every second of every task, avoids confrontations with everyone...
Suz outdoes herself on cliched characters this time with Bull, the participant who grabs his crotch in front of Ashley (and everyone else), makes constant lewd gestures and suggestions, his vileness outdoing anything ANYONE would actually do, especially in front of SEALS who could feed him his own gonads, hello. It took away from the believability of the book to even SUGGEST Bull could say what he did and DO what he did in front of the others.
When Ashley asks Jim why he didn't stop Bull, he says, "So you wanted my protection?" Um, NO, she wanted what every MAN in that room wanted - justice. Harassment *IS* a crime, regardless of who is targeted, and the people running the camp SHOULD'VE been putting an end to it. Ever hear of 'Criminal Sexual Conduct'? It's a chargeable offense on several levels, fyi. I didn't care for the way this was set up in the *least*. It was demeaning to her, as a HUMAN - leaving out the female part. And this was badly written, all the way around.
Fact of the matter is, the author didn't really have the ability to make this a LGBT soapbox book, so she instead settled for making it a feminist book. Objectification, unwanted touching, chauvinism... she slathered it on even thicker than she did in 'Harvard's Education', and PJ was hard-core, in and of herself. I'm not a fan of this trope. What woman feels the need to discuss 'windmilling' (waving your penis around) with her superior officer, anyhow? That's supposed to be cute? It wasn't.
More, the author equates calling a guy two decades younger 'boy' to being 'racist', and calling a woman 'sweetheart' a 'disparaging' comment. Sorry not sorry, 'sweetheart' is a compliment, thanks. And I call my sons and their friends 'boys' all the time without it being 'racist'. Suz is just LOOKING for things to be offended by, I swear it. I don't think she believes in women who are okay with being ladies, who wear dresses, heels, and make-up for their husbands and smile prettily when men hold doors and call them 'sweetheart'. We exist. We even *cook* full dinners for our families to set down to, nightly. Astonishing as that may be.
I didn't like Jim. He's a jerk with a chip on his shoulder, a filthy mouth around a lady, and who's not at all unique, interesting or even admirable. He spends as much time objectifying Ashley as Bull does. And I didn't like Ashley - she's one of those not-smart smart people who sit at a 4-way stop wondering if it's her turn to go, while claiming to be a great driver. Hell, she's probably that idiot waving everyone through, like a traffic cop with a windshield.
The dynamic duo (her brother and his friend) are completely NOT used to any sort of potential in the book. They're *worse* than peripheral, and actually all but disappear a third of the way in. Peripheral is what Rio, Thomas, and Lucky are, at best.
For that matter, Ashely is pulled from the camp before anything is resolved between her and Bull - a cheat if there ever was one. So the premise of SEAL camp? Yeah, it's completely abandoned for the stalker trope. Suz tosses the whole thing out the window to fall back on already overused plots.
Oh, and if you happen to be a Trump supporter, this is NOT the book for you. I don't personally like him, but I'm not disrespectful enough to pull reality into a *fictional* work and call him - what was it? - "the m****f*** pussy-grabbing commander in chief"? And no, she doesn't asterisk it out, either. GONE. TOO. FAR. SUZANNE. Apparently there's a reason she's left her publisher... they would advise against what she's doing in these books, for certain.
I was *DONE* at 83%. I kept going, because... 'finish what you start', but it descends into 'Queer Eye' references (a thing with her in the later 'Troubleshooter' books), gay SEALs, and full-on soapbox from there on out. She has Jim reading books on women's issues and Intersectional Feminism, because soapbox. I hung on mostly because I wanted to know why his name was 'Spaceman'. I'm fairly certain she didn't explain it til the end so that I *HAD* to slog thru her political planks to get to it. Which is offensive, to me, as a reader.
I will *NEVER* pay money for anything from this woman, again. I will *NOT* be finishing this series, and I sincerely hope she seeks help for anger management. Because this was NOT okay.
If you were a fan of Brockmann's pre-2005 works? STAY AWAY from this. You will find yourself sorry, in the end.
And that was AFTER the female voice reading the acknowledgements, in which Brockmann endorses violence against other human beings. "If you have do fight with things other than words, don't hurt your hand". Now, I'm not saying Nazis, KKK, or other hate groups are good people - I'm saying Suz calling for violence against human beings in her forward is WRONG. I'm absolutely appalled.
Then came the book. We have Alan 'Frisco' Fransisco, who's a SEAL who's had countless knee surgeries and is older but doesn't want to retire, because then what would he be? He's not a man if he's not a SEAL. Ooops! Wait, this isn't about Alan - that was 'Frisco's Kid'. In THIS book, we have Jim 'Spaceman' Slade, who's a SEAL who's had countless knee surgeries and is older but doesn't want to retire, because what would he be? He's not a man if he's not...
Wait. Just... wait a second.
IT'S THE SAME THING,
ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!
And as if that wasn't enough...? Insert yet ANOTHER stalker. Because every. single. book. that. she. writes anymore is stalker plots. Good night, this is getting so freakin' old...!! It's *supposed* to be about SEAL camp, but all of the characters 'ring out', and it becomes a stalker story. A-Gain. The SAME THING, over and over.
I was gonna say that about the forward. Let's see... Suz on the LGBT soapbox, before we even see the words 'Chapter One'... the same thing all over again. But I politely let her have her little repetitive thing, and moved to the book to find... the same thing, all over again. ((((sigh!!)))) At at $6.99 for the KINDLE version, hello. I get freebies that are more imaginative with their characters/plots than this. The ONLY reason I bought this was because I never read it and hate to leave series unfinished. ((Except the Troubleshooters. That was my one exception, of ALL series I've ever read. So I shouldn't be surprised this series was rapidly circling the toilet drain, now that she's picked it back up...))
This book starts off at a SEAL-esque camp in Florida that an ex-SEAL opened to the public. It's a week-long training camp, and Ashley and her two brothers are signed up to participate. ((Which translated immediately to me as a reader to be about Suz, her son and his partner. Because it FELT like what she was doing, and that sullied it further for me. "We're not gay", says Clark, to try to counter that. But Suz's purple suitcase for him is just one of the actions that doesn't match her words... and there are a LOT of them, starting back in the last book. So... which one is it that the saying indicate speaks louder, by the way...? Actions of characters, or their words? Hrm, I forget. But then she has to pacify the readers who've been giving her low reviews/ratings by making Clark like Kenneth's sister... who isn't in this (or the last, or *any* book) - she's just SAID to be his luvv because Suz needs her to be. Add to that the fact that not in any part of any book in any universe has Clark shown any interest in anything but being with Kenneth, so... yeah, but no.))
So next we have Ashley. Ashley is a lawyer who's afraid of everything, hides from her ex-boyfriends, cowers from her dad... like I said when introduced to her in Night Watch - I grew up in a controlling environment. You *breathe* freedom when you move out. And Ashley wasn't even controlled - she went to college, got a roommate, moved across the country... Suz doesn't know what a *CONTROLLING* parent is, I swear. This cowering damsel made of jelly doesn't jive. At all. We're TOLD that she's a 'strong' woman, but there's not a thing Ashley does that proves she's 'strong' - she hides behind a dumpster, won't take her father's calls, falls back on Jim every second of every task, avoids confrontations with everyone...
Suz outdoes herself on cliched characters this time with Bull, the participant who grabs his crotch in front of Ashley (and everyone else), makes constant lewd gestures and suggestions, his vileness outdoing anything ANYONE would actually do, especially in front of SEALS who could feed him his own gonads, hello. It took away from the believability of the book to even SUGGEST Bull could say what he did and DO what he did in front of the others.
When Ashley asks Jim why he didn't stop Bull, he says, "So you wanted my protection?" Um, NO, she wanted what every MAN in that room wanted - justice. Harassment *IS* a crime, regardless of who is targeted, and the people running the camp SHOULD'VE been putting an end to it. Ever hear of 'Criminal Sexual Conduct'? It's a chargeable offense on several levels, fyi. I didn't care for the way this was set up in the *least*. It was demeaning to her, as a HUMAN - leaving out the female part. And this was badly written, all the way around.
Fact of the matter is, the author didn't really have the ability to make this a LGBT soapbox book, so she instead settled for making it a feminist book. Objectification, unwanted touching, chauvinism... she slathered it on even thicker than she did in 'Harvard's Education', and PJ was hard-core, in and of herself. I'm not a fan of this trope. What woman feels the need to discuss 'windmilling' (waving your penis around) with her superior officer, anyhow? That's supposed to be cute? It wasn't.
More, the author equates calling a guy two decades younger 'boy' to being 'racist', and calling a woman 'sweetheart' a 'disparaging' comment. Sorry not sorry, 'sweetheart' is a compliment, thanks. And I call my sons and their friends 'boys' all the time without it being 'racist'. Suz is just LOOKING for things to be offended by, I swear it. I don't think she believes in women who are okay with being ladies, who wear dresses, heels, and make-up for their husbands and smile prettily when men hold doors and call them 'sweetheart'. We exist. We even *cook* full dinners for our families to set down to, nightly. Astonishing as that may be.
I didn't like Jim. He's a jerk with a chip on his shoulder, a filthy mouth around a lady, and who's not at all unique, interesting or even admirable. He spends as much time objectifying Ashley as Bull does. And I didn't like Ashley - she's one of those not-smart smart people who sit at a 4-way stop wondering if it's her turn to go, while claiming to be a great driver. Hell, she's probably that idiot waving everyone through, like a traffic cop with a windshield.
The dynamic duo (her brother and his friend) are completely NOT used to any sort of potential in the book. They're *worse* than peripheral, and actually all but disappear a third of the way in. Peripheral is what Rio, Thomas, and Lucky are, at best.
For that matter, Ashely is pulled from the camp before anything is resolved between her and Bull - a cheat if there ever was one. So the premise of SEAL camp? Yeah, it's completely abandoned for the stalker trope. Suz tosses the whole thing out the window to fall back on already overused plots.
Oh, and if you happen to be a Trump supporter, this is NOT the book for you. I don't personally like him, but I'm not disrespectful enough to pull reality into a *fictional* work and call him - what was it? - "the m****f*** pussy-grabbing commander in chief"? And no, she doesn't asterisk it out, either. GONE. TOO. FAR. SUZANNE. Apparently there's a reason she's left her publisher... they would advise against what she's doing in these books, for certain.
I was *DONE* at 83%. I kept going, because... 'finish what you start', but it descends into 'Queer Eye' references (a thing with her in the later 'Troubleshooter' books), gay SEALs, and full-on soapbox from there on out. She has Jim reading books on women's issues and Intersectional Feminism, because soapbox. I hung on mostly because I wanted to know why his name was 'Spaceman'. I'm fairly certain she didn't explain it til the end so that I *HAD* to slog thru her political planks to get to it. Which is offensive, to me, as a reader.
I will *NEVER* pay money for anything from this woman, again. I will *NOT* be finishing this series, and I sincerely hope she seeks help for anger management. Because this was NOT okay.
If you were a fan of Brockmann's pre-2005 works? STAY AWAY from this. You will find yourself sorry, in the end.
January 24, 2019
This will probably be the last of Suzanne's books I read. They are getting progressively more politicized. I read fiction for entertain.dnt and escape, not to be immersed in someone's political ideology. And I find it ironical, given Suzanne's stance on social issues, that the bulk of her characters--Navy Seals and law enforcement--are you of what would be in any SHE's book considered "toxic masculinity" . I like macho malez, I like romance, and I want to read about them in an action packed story written with insight, crestivity, touches of humor, and a stunning, happy-ever-after ending--like the author used to write. Forget the politics.
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