SEALed and Delivered

SEAL #1

by Jill Monroe

Subject: Nathaniel Peterson, SEAL instructor
Current status: Unexpectedly engaged in a sizzling kiss

Mission: Train the SEALs without interruption

Obstacle: Hailey Sutherland—the best kind of distraction!

Kiss the first man you see. The Fate Delivery Cards were a silly impulse purchase. But thanks to one of the Cards, bed-and-breakfast owner Hailey Sutherland finds herself locked in a scorching kiss with super-hot, wet-suit-clad navy SEAL Nate Peterson. It seems that fate is opposed to Hailey's self-imposed celibacy….

Especially since Nate has picked up his own Fate Delivery Card—and he intends to follow it through…until Hailey is in his bed!

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Blaze, Contemporary Romance, Military Fiction, Contemporary, Harlequin, Military Romance

210 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I credit my interest in writing romance to my grandmother. She gave me my first Harlequin to read during the hot summer days I spent on my grandparent's acreage in rural Oklahoma.

Immediately I was hooked!!!

Over the years, I would pick up a pen and write down ideas, but it wasn't until I joined Romance Writers of America and then Oklahoma Romance Writers did I become serious. During that time, I completed eight novels.

The first two will never, ever see the light of day. In fact, I should probably destroy these so no one accidentally reads them! Around my third book, I joined a critique group and began to really study the craft of writing.

From there I entered entered several writing contests. In March 2003, one part of my writing dreams came true when I finaled in the Golden Heart.
In late 2000, I learned I placed Honorable Mention in Harlequin's Blaze contest, and began corresponding with the editor who bought my first book. I also won a writing round robin on eHarlequin, which was loads of fun!


On December 18, 2003, I got "The Call" from Harlequin. Actually, my answering machine received the privilege. My seventh novel, Never Naughty Enough was published as a Harlequin Temptation Heat. My sixth novel, Share the Darkness, will be published in April of 2006

I make my home in Oklahoma (where many of my books are set) with my husband and two children. My hobbies include reading, water aerobics with my mother every morning and watching OU play ball. The least domestic thing I like to do is cook.

I met my then future husband as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!!), but we didn't marry until after I received my Master's from Missouri State (Yea Bears!). My husband hero often worked overtime so I could attend RWA's National Conferences. The most romantic thing he ever did was arrange for his parents to watch our children so he could drive me to Houston, Texas for the Emily Awards.

Reviews

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars – Contemporary Romance

I really enjoyed this sweet, steamy contemporary Blaze romance with a hunky, caring, funny, flirtatious, charming, and just flat-out too yummy for words Navy SEAL hero.

Hailey Sutherland has returned to her childhood hometown of San Diego following a third failed engagement to help her younger sister Rachel restore and run their family’s legendary B&B, The Sutherland, which just so happens to be near the SEALs Coronado training center...hoo yah!

Nate Peterson’s latest, temporary assignment is working as a SEAL instructor at Coronado while he rehabilitates from the leg injury he suffered on his last SEAL mission. He’s anxiously biding his time until he can go back into the field as the point man for his SEAL Team. He never expected fate to deliver the hottest kiss he’s ever experienced, and from a beautiful stranger on a beach no less.

Hailey and Rachel have a lot riding on the success of hosting their first post re-opening party at The Sutherland B&B, so they’re determined to make the bridal shower a hit that the guests won’t soon forget. It seems like playing with a deck of Fate Delivery Cards might be just the kind of fun the bride-to-be and her friends are after, but when Hailey draws a card that says to “kiss the first man you see”, she didn’t anticipate that a silly game would change her own fate.

But when a heroic, hot-as-sin, wet-suit-clad SEAL with a body like Colossus emerges from the ocean carrying an injured SEAL trainee to shore, who is she to refuse the instructions of a Fate Delivery Card? Besides, there’s no harm in just one kiss, right?

Nate can’t believe his luck when a beautiful woman plants the most sizzling kiss he’s ever received on him right in the middle of a public beach, and he’s not about to let her go, especially when he finds out she bakes cookies too! Nate’s determined to get to know Hailey a whole lot better and to spend as much time with her as he can before his next deployment, but convincing Hailey to take a chance won’t be easy because after three loser fiancés, she’s sworn off men and relationships. So, it’s a good thing the Fate Delivery Card he drew says “don’t take no for an answer”.

This was a fun, entertaining, and hot read with lots of humor and sweet romance, a self-help queen, girly girl heroine in need of some trust and confidence, and an utterly delightful and deliciously sexy, amusing, tender, and romantic SEAL hero that melted me like cookie dough in a hot oven...just Y-U-M! Seriously, Nate is completely swoon-worthy, go-gaga-over hero material ladies, so if you love sweet, military hunktastic hotties, don’t miss this pleasing, Blaze quickie! Hoo-yah! 4 stars!

[Auntee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little feel good romance between a charming, hunky Navy SEAL recovering from a leg injury who's currently training/teaching future SEALs at the San Diego Navy base, and a real girly-girl Bed and Breakfast owner who first meets him on the beach in front of her B&B. Nate and Hailey meet cute--she kisses him on a dare while hosting a wedding shower (while playing a card game with "Fate Delivery" cards--she's supposed to kiss the first man she sees), he's intrigued by the beautiful petite beauty, and decides he wants more. But after 3 failed engagements, Hailey feels that she can't trust her own judgment when it comes to picking men (even though Nate's kiss stirs up all kinds of warm and toasty feelings). So she decides that she's sort of on a sabbatical regarding men. When Nate approaches her for some of her time, she tries to brush him off by saying she doesn't do relationships, and Nate agrees that he doesn't do them either. But he's determined to change Hailey's mind, even though a relationship with him won't go anywhere, because he's eager to get back to his SEAL team. So Nate decides to romance her, and Hailey and Nate get a whole lot more than they ever expected when they each find themselves falling in love.

Ahh, Nate was such a sweetheart! Loved this guy and his charming, romantic ways. Who wouldn't fall for this guy? I thought Hailey was nuts for ever doubting her feelings for Nate, but I could understand her not trusting herself because her previous picks were all losers. Loved all the romantic things he did with her (the picnic, the kite flying on the beach, the trek in the desert followed by a massage at a spa, the camping and love making in a tent under the stars...the help he did around the Inn, the favors he did for her so she could make her Inn a success, the way he said he would never hurt her...what a keeper!)

There was a subplot in this book that almost upstaged the main story. It was about a friend of Hailey's who was having second thoughts about her upcoming marriage, due to her sexual repression. But with a little help from Hailey (and her sexual self-help books), a teddy, some high heels, and a room at Hailey's B&B, this friend and her fiancee straightened out all their problems (hot times!). But as hot as this little subplot got, I wanted the action to return to Hailey and Nate.

So if you're looking for a light, romantic escape featuring a couple of charming leads, let SEALed and Delivered take you away. Nothing heavy, just pure escapism. 4 stars

[Corrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know I've kept a low profile lately, but I had to come and complain about this book.

I'm about 95% sure that this book made it to the shelves with limited-to-no editing. Unless that's some kind of cadence I'm not familiar with, there are sentence structures in this book that made me literally grit my teeth and want to whip out my red pen.

Also, when your book is about 200 pages long, it's never a good thing to have a distracting secondary story that does nothing but provide more sex into the plot. I think this is the first Jill Monroe book I've read, and it will probably be the last. Very disappointing.

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute and sweet read, but I found myself more interested in the secondary romance (Jake & Amy) than the lead story (Nate & Hailey).

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

After three engagements and zero weddings, Hailey Sutherland is certain Fate dislikes her. She gets another confirmation when, at a bridal shower game, she ends up with a Fate Delivery Card that says she should "kiss the first man she sees".

Hailey has sworn off men, she's ready to get to know herself, maybe stop being such a fixer, and never again get close to a man. So why is she drooling at the sight of the hunky SEAL that emerged from the sea to help a comrade in need? And why, oh why, is she suddenly draped on him with his tongue in her throat?

It must be the heat...Because she has sworn off men! And there's nothing sexy SEAL instructor Nate Peterson can come up with that would change Hailey's mind. Right?


What a delicious, hilarious romp of a quick-read this was. A great combo of humor, romance, sex, angst, great chemistry, and a hunky SEAL. Yep, I absolutely loved Nate. He seemed a brooding and silent type, but once he opened up, thanks to some mouth-watering home-made chocolate chip cookies and a Fate Delivery Card all of his own...Yowza! "Have I thanked the Navy yet?" Hailey kept asking. Well, let's all thank the Navy, shall we, and hope to get even a glimpse of a guy like Nate.
He was funny, he was sweet, he was gentle, he was romantic in his own way, he was determined (Never take no for an answer.), he was a SEAL, and he was hunkalicious.
What's there not to thank the Navy for?

This was a very, very sweet story of a girl with a load of issues that learns the important lesson that it only takes the right guy to make all those self-help books absolutely redundant.
It was funny, it was sexy, it was sweet, it was hot...The only two problems were the heroine obtuse denial toward the end and a sub-plot about the heroine's friend who pushed her man away only because her grandma told her sex was dirty. What was that all about?!

All in all, a very enjoyable and quickie read.

[Kathrynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two cute stories combined into one very short book. Both stories had nice female characters trying to find themselves and some very sweet/patient male characters that were very romantic.

Very easy to read, feel-good, and hot.

Jake and Amy's tale got in my way abit as I was more interested in Nate and Hailey's romance, but they were both good.

[Brande Waldron · Rating 4 out of 5]

SEALed and Delivered .... well delivers! OK, before you kill me for the bad pun, I promise you will go away happy with all those much desired warm and squishy feelings that make a book worthy of your rainy day all huddled on the couch looking to be taken away.
Haley and her sister Rachel have settled back home at The Sutherland, a B&B in San Diego on the beach. The beautiful and historically rich house held a lot of memories for the two sisters and there were in for hardships trying to restore the old home back to it's former glory and there were in desperate need of some patrons and fast!Haley who has been engaged three times has vowed off men for good.... ya right sister you just keep telling yourself that!But little does she realize that she is in for the ride of her life. At their friends bridal shower Haley picks up a Fate Card which says, "Kiss the first man you see" .......... oh an there just happens to be a group of sexy SEALS running drills on the beach up from Coronado. First man she sees,that is Nate. running drills with his team he is blown away and very distracted by her sweet sweet lips and even sweeter kiss! Haley who I liked very much is a girl after my own heart, she is a true girly girl, so NOT Nate's type. So why is the sex on a stick, rough around the edges SEAL so enamoured with her! Oh leave it to those fabulous alpha makes to pursue and conquer and that is just what Nate intends to do. He takes his own card in a bit of fun, it says. "Don't take no for an answer". Well hell, what's a guy to do!Constantly telling him that they aren't dating and will NOT be dating, this is a fling, fun is the name of the game and Haley isn't about to get into another relationship that will only end in broken promises, broken hearts and yet ANOTHER broken engagement!The fun part is the two getting to know each other, if there ever was a game of opposites attract there two would be the poster children. It's what makes it so interesting, the challenge. Making the opportunity of knowing Nate and all his mates Haley sees a way to make some money for the B&B, Spot a SEAL! Which only add a lot of laughs as all the single ladies come out to spot the men on the beach running more drills in and out of the water.Nate is lovable and generous and sweet and wants to be loved himself. Did I say lovable! Ohh, I do just love the guy! He is a man who cares, about Haley, her business and his team. A little more to add to the drama is the side story of Jake and Amy, a sweet story and ties a lot of loose ends. A love story that in itself helps make the story complete. Hot and steamy I couldn't get enough of all of these characters. I hope Jill Monroe will write a story about Haley's sister Rachel. A no non-sense kinda gal you just want to see with her very own happy ending. And frankly I would be thrilled to see what happens and how all the other characters have progressed!!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good quick beach read

[Mnms · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romantic and sexy story with good relationship advice too

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...


How can a woman, three times at almost getting to the altar, get over the fear that number four will fail like all the others have? Only a man determined and trained to reach the end game is up to the challenge and Nate, Navy SEAL and lover of cookies, is just the man for the mission.

I’m hard pressed to find anything that I didn’t like in this book. I found the first meeting between Hailey and Nate inspired, his pursuit of her romantic and fascinating, Hailey’s self-delusion entertaining and their sexy interludes blush-worthy.

I enjoyed their dialogue, both internal monologues and their conversational gambits as they learned about each other. I also appreciated the sibling relationship between Hailey and Rachel because Rachel wouldn’t let Hailey hide from her feelings. In her own sisterly way, she managed to prod the heroine into facing her true feelings while supporting her as Hailey muddled through this new and unexpected threat to her heart.

The addition of a secondary romance between Amy, a friend of both Hailey and Rachel, and her husband-to-be was a nice touch. Even if Hailey can’t figure out how to let go and risk her heart again, nothing was going to stop her from meddling and assisting someone else in getting their own happily ever after, and she’s got the perfect self-help book to do it. In fact, that was a very interesting side road to explore in this story. Seems Amy has some mixed-up ideas about sex and its role in a marriage. The author did a nice job of weaving a little life lesson in there for women in real life. It wasn’t heavy handed by any means. Not only was it effective but it was fun, especially when Amy took control and let herself fly. Jake was a very happy man. And I was a very entertained reader.

As far as the conflict goes, it was a light one. SEALed and Delivered is a character driven romance with the plot being based on the hero and heroine ironing out their differences in what they wanted from and for each other, getting over a past, a dangerous job, a struggling family B & B and their own internal angst. There were no actual villains harmed in the telling of this tale -- unless you count a deck of cards and the demolishing of innocent cookies.

SEALed and Delivered is an easy, breezy, steamy and delightful story that inspires hormones to hum and chuckles to break out. It’s a fantastic read for any time that a reader needs a book that explores the fun of falling in love. Ms. Monroe has a reputation for creating characters and situations that always deliver smiles, sighs and appreciation of unusual personality quirks. If a reader is in any doubt, pick up your own copy of SEALed and Delivered and see for yourself how much trouble a little deck of cards can be. It’ll be worth it.

[Starry]

Subject: Nathaniel Peterson, SEAL instructor
Current status: Unexpectedly engaged in a sizzling kiss

Mission: Train the SEALs without interruption

Obstacle: Hailey Sutherland—the best kind of distraction!

Kiss the first man you see. The Fate Delivery Cards were a silly impulse purchase. But thanks to one of the Cards, bed-and-breakfast owner Hailey Sutherland finds herself locked in a scorching kiss with super-hot, wet-suit-clad navy SEAL Nate Peterson. It seems that fate is opposed to Hailey's self-imposed celibacy….

Especially since Nate has picked up his own Fate Delivery Card—and he intends to follow it through…until Hailey is in his bed!
_______________________________________________________________________
THIS BOOK WAS EXCELLENT! LOVED EVERY PART! JUST WISHED THAT THE BOOK WAS LONGER....BUT THIS BOOK WAS AN AWESOME SHORT READ THAT I RECOMMEND TO ALL.
BE WARNED: READING FORWARD WOULD REVEAL ALL SPOILERS, OR AT LEAST SOME.... I LIKE TO WRITE NOTES TO RE-READ AND REFRESH ALITTLE ABOUT THE BOOK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED...


HAILEY has a friend named amy whos getting married.They all were playing a game at the bridal shower when hailey's turn was up to read her dare. it was "to kiss the first man she sees". then right after that, like fate, a helicopter came and out flew 8 men. the first one was the one she got her eyes on, and he goes by the name of nate.
Nate was surprised when a beautiful woman came up and just kissed him like no tomorrow. then watch her walk away from him.
Amy got her relationship problems in this book. she got a fate card that she took too seriously. a card that said " set something you love free"....and since then shes been thinking her and jake's relationship might not be working out. but jake, the dominant male, is not taking no as an answer. he plans on keeping her, even though she was setting him free.fate does a twist for this couple, but im glad their together in the end.
then theres hailey, who doesn't think her relationship with men work out, and that her relationship with nate is the same. in the end though, everything works out.nate and hailey broke up but got back together when hailey relized she made a huge mistake letting him go. amy and jake get married! nate proposes to hailey!
#95

[Beate · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a Blaze book, this story is pretty tame. This book should have been shelved in "Erotica" with a sub genre of "Romance" - but is firmly shelved as "Romance". The so-called hot scenes were too tame to bring any "erotica" out of this book.

And what was up with the sub-plot of the Heroine's friend? To me, it seems like it was there only to fill in a given quota of erotic scenes. The sub story wasn't important to the over all plot of the book, or to the main characters in any way to justify giving them a headlining space for huge chunks of the book.

Then there's the bad language of the author. I want to say English is far from the author's first language, heck, maybe not even second language...

And then we'll round off nicely with the numerous typos and grammatical errors. Where on earth was the editor for all of this? Clearly not doing his or her job. This book made me want to whip out my very red pen and start correcting all the mistakes I found.

This book needs some heavy re-writing and even heavier editing before it's passable.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Jill Monroe book and even though her sex scene was PG-13 for a Blaze book, I did enjoyed the book. I feel the book was lacking that spark most romance books have but it was still a sweet Romance. I can relate to Hailey in some degree she was scared of relationships because of being hurt in the past.

Of course I haven’t been engaged 3 times but I know what it feels like to have someone claim they love you but in the end the love was nothing but being used or abused.

Nate was such a sweet heart and at times I really felt sorry for him because he had to pay for what other men did to Hailey. Good thing he had patience and was understanding. I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3 stars because it's rare to get two smarts, self aware, charming and interesting leads. Both Hailey and Nate are wonderful to watch, how they move closer while pretending that it's not a relationship, but it so totally is. The setting is well done. I like the leitmotiv "Have I thanked the Navy lately?" it makes both characters fun and definitely not the tragic drama kind.

The only problem is the B plot involving a friend and her fiancé and their cliché problem sex lives. Totally boring, totally not interesting and soooo cliché I just skipped the parts where Amy and Jack, Jake whatever showed up. Waste of pages that would have been best used on Hailey and Nate.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, fun, sexy read. Heroine is on rebound from her third bad engagement, when a wedding shower game has her kissing the first man she sees--who, since she and her sister run a B&B on the San Diego beach, just happens to be a SEAL instructor. He's blown away by this sexy woman kissing him, and we're off and running. The only angst here is the heroine's and it's fairly light. The hero's a perfect fantasy figure. It's just a light, fun read.

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading this author or a Harlequin Blaze title, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by it. The sex scenes were more racy than the other Harlequin titles I have read but not as racy as some of the erotica I have read. This book had the potential to be a five star read, however the heroine's constant "I don't want a relationship" mantra got annoying after a while. It was a fast read though, and probably one I will re-read.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

SEALed and Delivered is the first of two books that Ms Monroe writes for the Uniformly Hot series. This book is the story of Nathaniel Peterson a SEAL instructor and Hailey Sutherland, a female come back to her childhood home to renovate the family B&B.

This story is endearing, funny and sizzling hot. Lots of banter between the SEALs and women watching them whilst playing with fate delivery cards. Great addition to the Uniformly Hot series.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

What can I say? I'm a sucker for puns. A book about a Navy Seal called SEALed and Delivered? Cheese at its best! Not to mention that this book is part of an "armed forces" series and the tagline is 'Uniformly Hot! The Few. The Proud! The Sexy As Hell!" LOLtastic.

The book itself was okay, btw.

[Susan (susayq ~) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, I read this in one evening. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything more than a quick, easy, fluffy read. I got that and more. I connected with the heroine and fell in love with her SEAL right along with her. There was a small secondary plot in there, and lo and behold, I connected with her too LOL It was like the author talked to me to write these characters :)

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't appreciate the uber-hot alpha male, who appears to be in touch with his feelings/what he wants? The hero did not do an avoidance dance about the relationship. The heroine was the obstacle in this book.
Overall, a quick and enjoyable story.

[Mrs. Missive · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story and interesting take on fate. Oh and a seriously hot military man. Usual pattern for a romance novel, but hey that's why we read them right?

[Ashley FL · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the weaker of the series, but it's a great series, so . . .

Added bonus for WPers: takes place in Coronado!

[Annelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick feel good read.

[Wminbc · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were quite a few typos that annoyed me...and I would have wanted more "action". I wanted to love this book since I love Jill Monroe soooooo much!

[Heather]

Heather has not read this book. This review is showing via a glitch. The book is however on her TBR. - note added by her daughter.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uniformly Hot! Navy SEAL falls for B&B owner who is trying to turn the SEAL exercises on the beach by the B&B into profit.

[Cecelia]

tons of editing errors, but interesting non the less. The ending is too easy

[Torie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a cute story line but it seemed to drag out. I wasn't a big fan of the writing style but my imagery of the SEAL was a nice one.

[Elizabeth Mckernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad proofing. Okay read.