Series: West Coast Navy SEALs (Book 1)
He Lost Just About Everything On That Mission....
Being a Navy SEAL means everything to John "Red Jack" Roaker, but a
mission gone wrong has left his buddy dead, his memory spotty, and his
world turned upside down. His career as a SEAL is threatened unless Dr.
Laurie Smith's unconventional methods of therapy can help him.
Maybe She Can Show Him How to Get it Back...
Laurie's father was a SEAL -- and she knows exactly what the personal
cost can be. She can't resist trying everything to help this man, and
not only because she finds him as sexy as he is honorable.
As the layers of Jack's resistance peel away, he and Laurie unearth
secrets that go to the highest levels of the military -- and the
deepest depths of their hearts...
Jack is stuck on medical leave until he can remember what went on during his last mission. He remembers that something didn't feel right, but the actual memories are gone. To add to it, he keeps having visions of his buddy telling him that time is running out and he has to find the truth. The Navy doctors he's seeing aren't helping a bit. When he meets Laurie he is first attracted to her. When he finds out that she is also a therapist he goes to her for help. Her methods are different but they start working for him right away and he begins to remember a few things. He also finds, as they spend personal time together, that she makes him feel things he has never felt for another woman. Laurie is the daughter of a SEAL and as such has a good idea of what their lives are like. She had a rule about not dating military men because she wanted a man who would be there more than he wasn't. But there was something about Jack that made all others seem insignificant. Besides their personal relationship she was sure that she could help him with his memory issues. I liked the way that she was able to give him the ability to access those memories without coming across as his "savior". When he reports his progress to his doctor he is suddenly ordered to stay away from Laurie completely. He also hears that he is being accused of being the cause of the mission going bad, making the retrieval of his memories even more urgent. I liked both Jack and Laurie. Jack is determined to get his head together and become operational again. He is willing to do what is necessary to do so, even try the "woo woo" stuff. I liked the way that he easily accepted it once he realized it was working. I also liked the way that he stood up to Laurie's adopted father who was also his mentor. Laurie has to deal with her issues of being with a SEAL. I also liked the way that she was strong enough to stand up to Jack when he needed it. She was also able to understand when he needed space to deal with something, a very important aspect to their relationship. I loved the way that the author shows inside the SEAL world. There is a closeness among team members that you don't see anywhere else, a commitment to each other in both their professional and personal lives. There is also a strong sense of community that also encompasses the family and friends of the SEALs. Overall a good book. I'm looking forward to the next one.
Series: Deadly Angels (Book 2)
It's not easy being a Vampire Angel.
No one knows that better than Trond Sigurdsson. In the centuries since
he last went out drinking and wenching with his Viking buds, Trond has
been a gladiator, a cowboy, a ditch digger . . . even a sheik. But now
he's the baddest of them all: a kick-ass Navy SEAL kicking butts of
terrorist immortals with the help of his hotter-than-Hades female
partner, police officer-turned-Special Forces operative Nicole Tasso --
whom Trond dearly hopes to "partner" with very shortly in a whole
different way.
The "cop" part of Nicole tells her there's something bizarre about her
gorgeous godlike teammate. But her "all-woman" side can't help wondering
how great it would be to have a virile Viking in her bed. Trond has
secrets galore, but Nicole feels certain she can dig them out -- and
really get to the heart of this powerful, unnerving stranger whom she
may be risking her soul to love.
Loved the book. Trond and Nicole were great. Trond's sin was sloth/laziness which makes his current mission as a SEAL a particular punishment for him. His constant mental complaints about why things always have to be done the hard way are pretty amusing. His other problem is his conflict with Nicole the woman SEAL or WEALS as they are called. They are constantly rubbing each other the wrong way. She can't stand his laid back ways and her constant peppiness makes him crazy. But there is also an attraction there that can't be denied. As a vangel Trond is forbidden to have sex outside of marriage so his attraction to Nicole has him constantly on edge. He also has his mission to stop the demon vampires from infiltrating the SEALs and has two of them he needs to save. Nicole has her own past issues that she is trying to overcome. She left an abusive marriage and her perkiness is her method of compensating for the way she submitted to the abuse for so long. Now she feels that she has become the woman she is supposed to be. Her attraction to Trond is unwelcome as she finds his attitudes offensive, but she can't deny his physical appeal. She also trusts her instincts that say he has secrets that he is hiding. This reminds her too much of her ex-husband and she is determined to find out what they are. The more time they spend together the more their relationship changes as it moves from dislike to intrigued to attracted to love. The trust that developed was very important also. The mission that they and the other SEALs are sent on to recover some hostages is well done but ends up with Trond and Nicole sort of captured themselves. Their interactions with Zeb the demon vampire are great and I loved his part in the story. The ending was a lot of fun with St. Michael playing his part yet again. I loved seeing characters from Sandra Hill's Viking SEALs books as they played their own parts in this book. The meeting of Trond and Max was great as they recognized each other as Vikings. I also loved the wedding scene at the end. The concept of the Viking vampire angels has been a lot of fun so far. The idea of Viking angels (oxymoron for sure) fighting evil has been great as they try to do their jobs while following the rules (not what Vikings are known for). Can't wait for the rest of the series.
