ARC Review: SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows

SEAL of Honor

Author: Tonya Burrows

Publication: Entangled Select (May 28, 2013)

Description: It’s a good thing Gabe Bristow lives and breathes the Navy SEAL credo, “the only easy day was yesterday,” because today, his life is unrecognizable. When his prestigious career comes to a crashing halt, he’s left with a bum leg and few prospects for employment that don’t include a desk.

That is, until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team and free a wealthy American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. It seems like a good deal—until he meets his new team: a drunk Cajun linguist, a boy-genius CIA threat analyst, an FBI negotiator with mob ties, a cowboy medic, and an EOD expert as volatile as the bombs he defuses. Oh, and who could forget the sexy, frustratingly impulsive Audrey Van Amee? She’s determined to help rescue her brother—or drive Gabe crazy. Whichever comes first.

As the death toll rises, Gabe’s team of delinquents must figure out how to work together long enough to save the day. Or, at least, not get themselves killed. Because Gabe's finally found something worth living for, and God help him if he can’t bring her brother back alive.

My Thoughts: SEAL OF HONOR was an exciting and entertaining romantic suspense title. Gabe Bristow is a former Navy SEAL who has left the service because of severe injuries he got in a car accident. He is at loose ends and pondering his future plans. He knows he doesn't want the desk job his father, the General, has lined up for him but he isn't sure that he wants to turn into a mercenary either. When a friend offers him the job leading a team that does hostage rescues and has a hostage in mind, he agrees to give it a try.

The first problem Gabe faces is the herd of misfits that make up his team. They don't have time to work together to develop teamwork if they want to rescue wealthy American businessman Bryson Van Amee from the Colombian kidnappers who hold him.  An additional complication comes in the person of Bryson's younger sister Audrey Van Amee who is determined to help. She is a free-spirited artist and the complete opposite of Gabe's Type A personality. But sparks fly when they meet.

Gabe and Audrey's relationship grows while they are held hostage by two different groups of bad guys and despite Gabe's determination to keep things professional. Audrey shows courage and determination that wins him over.

The plot was nicely twisty, the characters interesting and well-developed, and the writing was smooth. Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this story. I hope that Burrows has more adventures planned for this team. I want to learn more about the other characters.

Favorite Quote:

He turned to her. "Could you shoot a firearm and not hit me if the situation came down to that?"

"I was born and raised in the South, honey, but I'm no southern belle. I shoot what I aim at," she said in a tone so coated with sugar he was surprised her teeth didn't rot. Then she flashed a smile as bright as that sinful yellow tank top she wore. "But it's still up in the air whether I'll aim at you or not."

I received this PDF from a publicist at Entangled Publishing. You can buy your copy here. 

Announcing: Bella Andre Launches New Career with Harlequin MIRA

Finally, for romance lovers who aren't ebook readers, Bella Andre's books will be in print! I took part in her blog tour for the ebook Sullivan series books this past January and loved them. Now they will finally be available in print.

Romance readers will find heart-warming and sexy contemporary romances about the seven Sullivan brothers and sisters. The series features one Sullivan finding their own true love in each title but each title also includes further looks at the lives of the other Sullivans.

After experiencing great success self-publishing her books, Bella signed a groundbreaking, seven-figure, print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA. Starting with THE LOOK OF LOVE in June, the rest of the series will appear at one month intervals.

You don't want to miss these. Check out my review here.

Teaser Tuesday: SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows. I got this PDF from a publicist at Entangled Publishing. The book will be released on May 28. Here is the description:

It’s a good thing Gabe Bristow lives and breathes the Navy SEAL credo, “the only easy day was yesterday,” because today, his life is unrecognizable. When his prestigious career comes to a crashing halt, he’s left with a bum leg and few prospects for employment that don’t include a desk.

That is, until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team and free a wealthy American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. It seems like a good deal—until he meets his new team: a drunk Cajun linguist, a boy-genius CIA threat analyst, an FBI negotiator with mob ties, a cowboy medic, and an EOD expert as volatile as the bombs he defuses. Oh, and who could forget the sexy, frustratingly impulsive Audrey Van Amee? She’s determined to help rescue her brother—or drive Gabe crazy. Whichever comes first.

As the death toll rises, Gabe’s team of delinquents must figure out how to work together long enough to save the day. Or, at least, not get themselves killed. Because Gabe's finally found something worth living for, and God help him if he can’t bring her brother back alive.

Teaser:

"Tranquilo," Jacinto said, his voice warped by the mask but still as friendly as ever. Like he was talking about a futbol game. Or the traffic. Or the weather. "Let it happen, Señor Van Amee. Go to sleep now. I won't hurt you. You're worth too much money."

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 20, 2013)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

My reading week started slowly but I picked up speed at the end and managed to finish five books.

I read Of Triton by Anna Banks which is the sequel to Of Poseidon. It is a mermaid story that is enhanced by a wonderful main character. Emma is smart, articulate, and feisty. She is also half mermaid and torn between her mother who fled the undersea world and her boyfriend who wants to make her part of it. My review will be posted on May 25 for this May 28 release.

SEAL of Honor was a nice romantic suspense title. I liked the main characters very much and thought it was very suspenseful. My review will be posted on May 23 for this May 28 release.

The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross is the third book in her YA steampunk series and was an excellent adventure. I loved both the science fiction aspects and the romances in this one. My review is here for this May 28 release.

Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne is the sequel to Monument 14. It continues the story of the group of school children who took refuge in a superstore when massive hailstorms led to the release of chemical weapons that caused devastation. It is told from two points of view and was exciting and gripping. My review will be posted on May 23.

I couldn't put Evidence of Life by Barbara Taylor Sissel down. I was swept into this story of an ordinary woman who has to deal with extraordinary events. When her husband and daughter disappear during massive floods in the Hill Country of Texas, Abby Bennett has to find the strength and courage to try to find them and find out what happened. This was a heart wrenching exploration of grief. My review will be posted on May 25.

I have just begun an eARC that I have been really wanting to read—Dare You To by Katie McGarry. This is a contemporary romance. I loved Pushing the Limits when I read it and can't wait to dig into this one.

Next Week

I am still trying to catch up on review books.

Both my YAs this week are sequels. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo follows the very successful Shadow and Bone. I got this fantasy which mines Russian mythology from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It will be released on June 4

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke follows The Assassin's Curse. This eARC from NetGalley is also a fantasy which will be released on June 18.

I am finally going to be able to fit Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris into my reading schedule. I am so eager to read the conclusion to the Sookie Stackhouse series.

I also have The Spanish Revenge by Allan Topol on my review stack to read. This is a thriller that has been sitting on the stack for far too long. It was released on Sept. 1, 2012 but I didn't get it until Jan. 1.

The non-reading highlight of the week was my road trip to The Red Balloon on Wednesday evening when I got a chance to meet Jeri Smith-Ready and to learn more about her books and her social media presence. I had a great time!

What do you have planned for this week?

Stacking the Shelves (May 19, 2013)

Tynga of Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

This week was a quiet one for adult books. I just got two.

I received a print copy of Bella Andre's From This Moment On for review. I read the ebook in January and really liked it. It will be released in print for the first time on June 25.

I also got The Human Division by John Scalzi which is a new story in his Old Man's War universe. I liked that series and am eager to see what happens next in this science fiction series. 

What did you get this week? 

ARC Review: The Last Girl by Jane Casey

The Last Girl

Author: Jane Casey

Publication: Minotaur Books (May 21, 2013)

Description: Vast wealth offers London defense attorney Philip Kennford a lot of things: a gorgeous house with a pool in the backyard, connections in the top echelons of society, a wardrobe worthy of Milan runways. But his money doesn't provide a happy marriage, or good relationships with his twin daughters…and it does nothing to protect his family when someone brutally murders his wife and daughter in their own home.

When Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan arrives at the scene, the two survivors—Philip and his second favorite daughter, Lydia—both claim to have seen nothing, but it's clear right away that this is an unhappy family accustomed to keeping secrets. Maeve soon finds herself entangled in a case with a thousand leads that all seem to point nowhere, and it doesn’t help that her boss, whom she trusts more than almost anyone, is starting to make decisions that Maeve finds questionable at best.

In The Last Girl, Jane Casey once again demonstrates her ability to write vivid, three-dimensional characters and spin a gripping, unpredictable mystery.

My Thoughts: Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan and her partner Detective Inspector Josh Derwent are called to a double murder and find that the victims are the wife and daughter of defense attorney Philip Kennford. Kennford is well known to both of them and not at all well-liked. He is rather famous for getting his clients off whether or not they are guilty. Philip and Lydia, his other daughter, are both horrible witnesses. Derwent and Maeve are convinced that they are both keeping secrets.

Maeve and Derwent soon find themselves investigating dissatisfied clients with grudges and some of the many women that Kennford has slept with and abandoned. We are looking at an abundance of people who wanted Kennford dead but not necessarily his wife and daughter dead.

Maeve is also dealing with some relationship problems with her boyfriend Rob. Maeve has moved in with him to get away from a stalker but feels that she has jumped too fast into something she can't control. She is constantly second guessing herself. Rob, a former colleague, is now in a different section of the police and is being hit on by his superior. He hasn't shared this information with Maeve because he thought he could handle it. When someone sends suggestive pictures to Maeve, it feeds her suspicions about Rob and convinces her that she should end the relationship.

The characters are all well-drawn and well-rounded people. Derwent is sexist, abrasive, not at all politically correct, and willing to be on Maeve's side when the chips are down. I liked the relationship that they have. Maeve isn't going to let any of his rude comments upset her and she, respectfully, gives as good as she gets. 

Fans of police procedurals will enjoy the twists and turns of this well-written tale.

Favorite Quote:

"Can you remember the last time we tried to have sex in the shower?"

He winced. "Remember it? I'm still seeing a chiropractor."

I got this eARC from Minotaur Books' Early Reviewer program. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Last Girl by Jane Casey

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week I am spotlighting The Last Girl by Jane Casey. I got this mystery through Minotaur Books' Early Reviewer program. It is the third in the Maeve Kerrigan series and will be the first one I have read. Here is the description of this May 21 release:

Vast wealth offers London defense attorney Philip Kennford a lot of things: a gorgeous house with a pool in the backyard, connections in the top echelons of society, a wardrobe worthy of Milan runways. But his money doesn’t provide a happy marriage, or good relationships with his twin daughters…and it does nothing to protect his family when someone brutally murders his wife and daughter in their own home.

When Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan arrives at the scene, the two survivors—Philip and his second favorite daughter, Lydia—both claim to have seen nothing, but it’s clear right away that this is an unhappy family accustomed to keeping secrets. Maeve soon finds herself entangled in a case with a thousand leads that all seem to point nowhere, and it doesn’t help that her boss, whom she trusts more than almost anyone, is starting to make decisions that Maeve finds questionable at best.

In The Last Girl, Jane Casey once again demonstrates her ability to write vivid, three-dimensional characters and spin a gripping, unpredictable mystery.

Beginning:

She'd been swimming for almost an hour. Her legs felt weak, her arms heavy every time she lifted them out of the water into the night air that still shivered with the heat of the day.

Friday 56:

"Laura didn't stand up," I said quietly. "She didn't even know she was in danger. She knew her killer or she wasn't scared."