(Reluctant Heroes)
by Suzanne Brockmann
ARC Review
Published: February 4, 2014, Random House Publishing
My rating: 5 of 5 ⭐️
"Navy SEAL Ian Dunn went rogue in a big way when he turned his talents to a lawless life of jewel heists and con jobs. Or so the world has been led to believe. In reality, the former Special Ops warrior is still fighting for good, leading a small band of freelance covert operatives who take care of high-stakes business in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the hands-down choice when the U.S. government must breach a heavily guarded embassy and rescue a pair of children kidnapped by their own father, a sinister foreign national willing to turn his kids into casualties. Shockingly, Ian passes on the mission for reasons he will not—or cannot—reveal.But saying no is not an option. Especially not for Phoebe Kruger, Ian’s beautiful and unexpectedly brash new attorney. Determined to see the abducted children set free, she not only gets Ian on board but insists on riding shotgun on his Mission: Impossible–style operation, whether he likes it or not.
Though Phoebe has a valuable knack for getting out of tight spots, there’s no denying the intensely intimate feelings growing between Ian and Phoebe as the team gears up for combat. But these are feelings they both must fight to control as they face an array of cold-blooded adversaries, including a vindictive mob boss who’s got Ian at the top of his hit list and a wealthy psychopath who loves murder as much as money. As they dodge death squads and play lethal games of deception, Ian and Phoebe will do whatever it takes to save the innocent and vanquish the guilty—or die trying."
*****
She's BACK!!!! Fan-flipping-TASTIC!!!
I'm telling you.....I used to gobble up the Suzanne Brockmann books, read them until the pages came loose from the cover. ALWAYS the perfect hooks to get me......
The reluctant military, or ex-military guys, often misunderstood or purposely misleading..... who turn out to have this softer side that they vehemently deny, but our heroines bring to the surface. Ahhhhh, our leading ladies, never quite blonde bombshells - always a tad insecure with one or another thing about their appearance, which makes them all the more attractive to our hero. That PLUS the mouth..... they have to have the mouth, the sassy one that tends to talk too much, reveal too much and appeal too much.
Our heroes, being military, expect compliance......and our girls are not about to roll over and play dead!! They are constantly in their face, questioning and breaking rules, testing patience and slowly but surely breaking down any resistance. The women rock!!
DO OR DIE is no exception, the main characters are as unsuited as can be. Ian is an ex-SEAL gone independent, and no one quite knows whether it is for legal or illegal gains. He is fiercely protective of his brother, having had to take responsibility for him from a very young age on. Life hasn't exactly been fair, or easy, for either one of them, but Ian tends to roll with the punches as long as he can make sure his family is taken care of. He has very few expectations for himself.
We really know very little about Phoebe, but in the context of this book it doesn't matter what her background is. She comes across as an independent and clear personality without the need for a huge background story. She is a fantastic character. I love her. What appears to be a timid and rather mousy grey lawyer type, hides a feisty and rather fearless, intelligent and loyal individual. Phoebe is quite unflappable once she gets the lay of the land, and doesn't bow down to anyone. Smart, insightful and with an amazing wit, she is a perfect match for the taciturn Ian.
I didn't feel the need to recap the story line, because the synopsis provided with the book is quite elaborate and there is nothing I could have added to that without moving into spoiler territory, and I don't like doing that. So it stands as is.
As indicated, the writing is fabulous, the plot intricate, the characters - and there are quite a few important ones - are all very personalized, their relationships are well described and felt throughout the story and there isn't a slow point anywhere. The book moves, from the get go. It is a nice long read and will keep you at the edge of your seat, if not with action that with some funny banter or sweet building heat between Ian and Phoebe.
Worth every one of the five stars.....and then some!!
✨An exciting, sexy, twisting and turning thrill-ride!!✨
**ARC provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing in return for an honest review.**
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