Call to Engage - Tawny Weber (HQN - July 2017)

Series: Team Poseidon/SEAL Brotherhood (Book 2)

The Poseidon team are hard-bodied, fiercely competitive Navy SEALs. But when a sensitive mission goes disastrously wrong, three of the team's finest will have to trust their hearts and instincts to uncover the truth…

Lieutenant Elijah Prescott should be spending his precious leave somewhere with sun, surf and scantily clad women. Instead, he's heading home with two goals in mind. Figure out exactly how his last assignment went to hell and almost killed him -- and reconnect with the woman who might offer salvation.

Ava Monroe has streamlined her life, eliminating every source of pain -- including a marriage touched by tragedy. One glimpse of her ex and those good intentions turn to bad-girl desires. Her strategy: get over Elijah by getting under him again, sating herself until she can finally let go. But as betrayal within the rank of the SEALs turns deadly, there's no denying that her heart and her life are on the line. Elijah is the only man who can protect both…

Exciting continuation of the series and second chance love story. Team Poseidon is searching for a fellow team member who has betrayed his country and his team. The first book, Call to Honor, involved discovery of the treachery and finding out that the man hadn't died during the mission after all. This story is about Elijah Prescott, one of the victims of that same mission. He has mostly recovered from his injuries, but still suffers from some emotional fallout. Elijah heads home on leave to decide what to do about it, and also finally deal with the failure of his marriage. He did not expect to find Ava so changed from what he remembered.

Ava has finally gotten her life back together after the devastating events of her marriage. She had been young and insecure, and the death of their baby created a gulf between herself and Elijah that she didn't know how to handle. Since then she has turned her life completely around and has the strength and confidence to handle anything - except Elijah's return. One encounter with him reminds her of the passion that had always burned hot between them. She refuses to risk her heart again, but maybe a short fling will help burn out the flames.

I loved the rekindling of their relationship. Elijah and Ava had never taken the time to talk about what had happened after the baby's death. Instead, Ava had run away and Elijah had buried his grief in his work, and they hadn't seen each other again. I ached for Elijah, whose emotional hits have built up to the point where he questions the very essence of who he is. Seeing Ava, who he has never forgotten or stopped loving, sends him reeling. The changes he sees in her only make her more appealing to him. Ava is blown away by the strength of the attraction she still feels for Elijah, but she is also afraid of it. The extreme control she has on her life has kept her heart safe. If she lets him in again, she may never recover if it goes wrong. I loved Elijah's determination to show Ava that they can make it work. This time he is ready to share his fears and dreams, if only he can get her to listen. I got frustrated with Ava because she kept ignoring Elijah's attempts to really talk to her, just as she had when they were married. It wasn't until she allowed herself to get involved that she truly understood him and what made him the man he was. I also loved that Elijah came to respect the kick-ass woman that Ava had become and wanted to do whatever was necessary to give their relationship a chance. I loved their big moment at the end as they finally fully opened their hearts and overcame their fears to take a chance on the future.

The suspense of the story was really good, as the remaining members of Poseidon do their best to flush out the traitor and bring him to justice. Added to the difficult is the suspicion that there is someone on the inside who is helping him. It was fascinating to see the measures they took to find out who it is. The way that someone is targeting Elijah to make others believe that he knew what was happening was creepy and frustrating. I ached for the team members, who were dealing with the fallout from the betrayal, and for their commander who is determined to find the answers. The buildup to the final confrontation was intense. The confrontation itself was exciting with plenty of surprises to go around, not the least of which was who brought the bad guy down. There is still a loose thread dangling, which I hope will be tied up in the next book. I also hope that there will be stories for the other team members.

 

Night Maneuvers - Tawny Weber (HQN - Dec 2016)

Series: Team Poseidon/SEAL Brotherhood (Book .5)

Within the elite brotherhood of Navy SEALs, the Poseidon team are the very best—and the most secretive. Convincing a naive journalist not to write a tell-all PR feature should be a piece of cake for Chief Petty Officer Aaron Ward. Especially once he glimpses Bryanna Radisson's soft, lush curves. His tactic: seduce and destroy…

Bryanna is no pushover. Aaron's hard-muscled body makes her crave much more than a story, and she'll get what she came for. Desire is her weapon of choice, but when this one wild night is over, will Aaron sabotage her plans…or lose his heart in collateral damage?

Good introduction to the men of Team Poseidon. They are all sitting around letting off steam when their commander arrives with some disturbing news. The new Public Affairs Specialist is planning a celebration for the 55th anniversary of the SEALs, and she plans to make Team Poseidon the focus. Worse, she has the backing of the admiral, so they have to cooperate. None of the team members are happy. Their code is to serve their country, preserve anonymity, and avoid recognition. Aaron is selected to be the one to talk to her. His mission is to try to talk her out of it, and if he can't do that, minimize the damage.

Bryanna has her plan, and she isn't going to let anything get in her way. She has done her research on the team and is more than impressed with what she has learned. But that is nothing to her reaction when she meets Aaron. She wasn't expecting someone so irresistibly sexy.

I loved their first meeting. Aaron is charming, flirtatious, and fun. Bryanna is determined to get her questions answered, but no matter what she asks, he manages to dodge the question and change the subject. She gets more and more frustrated but doesn't let it show. What neither can deny is the attraction that is burning between them. What they each get is an encounter that is far beyond what either expected. There is also a rather heated discussion when their motives are revealed, leaving them feeling both betrayed and guilty. In that discussion some rather blunt truths are spoken, giving each of them something to think about after they part ways.

I enjoyed Aaron's return to his quarters, where he encountered his teammates, all of whom had opinions to give. Aaron feels guilty and worried, because he may have revealed more than he intended to. He also learned a bit of information that he hadn't had going into the meeting - that Bryanna is the admiral's niece, which means she has all the backing she needs. Bryanna has her own trouble to face during a meeting with her uncle, who won't let her back out of the project. The question becomes, is there a way to make both sides of the issue happy? I loved what Bryanna's solution.

Beneath all the brouhaha of the article are the feelings that slammed both Aaron and Bryanna. Though the story takes place over only about twenty-four hours, Bryanna and Aaron realize that they want much more from each other. The question is, can the man whose life requires anonymity have a future with a woman whose life is all about publicity? I loved the honesty of their talk with each other in the admiral's office, and that their viewpoints are much closer than either suspected. It's sweet and romantic to see just how deep they are already.

Call to Honor - Tawny Weber (HQN - Feb 2017)

Series: Team Poseidon/SEAL Brotherhood (Book 1)

The Poseidon team are hard-bodied, fiercely competitive navy SEALs. But when a sensitive mission goes disastrously wrong, three of the team's finest will have to trust their hearts and instincts to uncover the truth…

"No man left behind" is inscribed in the DNA of every SEAL and Lieutenant Diego Torres is no exception. But with a team member killed -- and the body missing -- Diego's honor is sorely tested. Now his career and reputation are on the line, and a traitor is hiding among them. Diego wants answers…and only one woman has them.

Single mom Harper Maclean has two priorities -- raising her son Nathan and starting a new life. Her mysterious new neighbor may be impossibly charming, but Diego asks too many questions about her past -- and about the father of her child. Questions she fears will reveal her burning attraction for Diego, and ultimately put them all in danger's path.

Very good book that had me hooked from the beginning. It opens with the SEAL team in their downtime, their natural competitiveness at the forefront of their interactions. I liked Diego right away. He lives for his work as a SEAL, determined to be the best. He doesn't seek the limelight or see himself as a hero. His early years were rough, but he pulled himself out of it.  There are indications that he has a temper, but he also controls it. Other SEALs are introduced at the same time. Lansky, Diego's best friend, who is also known as MacGyver. He's a bit more volatile, also makes up his mind quickly about people and is reluctant to be convinced otherwise. Then there is Ramsey, a new arrival to the team. He is handsome, arrogant, and believes that he is the best of them all. He doesn't take well to losing at anything. He rubbed me the wrong way from the start, with his comments about his ex and his son. There was something about him that came across as creepy. He is also very jealous of Diego's place on the team and his reputation. When the next mission goes wrong, Ramsey is missing and presumed dead - until critical information finds its way to the enemy and the team comes under investigation. Their commander doesn't trust the CIA and NI investigators, so he sends Diego and Lansky to investigate the one person most likely to know anything - Ramsey's ex, Harper.

Harper is a single mother, doing her best to raise her son alone. She fell for the slick Ramsey when she was only seventeen. When she discovered she was pregnant, he told her to get rid of the baby or his parents would take it from her. Then he walked out, and she never saw him again. Harper grew up in a bad part of town and was determined to make a better life for her son. Through sacrifice and hard work, she is now a respected and in-demand interior designer. Nathan is also the only male in her life. She has dated a little bit, but no one has been able to break through her mistrust. Her friend Andi is determined to get Harper to start living again.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship build between Diego and Harper. There is no question about the chemistry between these two; it sparks every time they are together. Diego tries very hard to keep his mind on business, his instructions are to observe and investigate, but not to engage. However, there is something about her that he can't resist. He feels somewhat guilty about using the attraction to get closer, especially once he realizes that there is no way that she is involved in her ex's activities. Harper tries to resist the attraction until she decides that she's let her past affect her life long enough. She knows Diego won't be around long and that makes him perfect for a quick fling. She's no more interested in a long term relationship than he is. It was fun seeing them get to know each other. Diego is so out of his element in "suburbia" but is slowly drawn in by both Harper and Nathan. I loved seeing Diego with Nathan. They connected so quickly, and it was awesome to see Diego fall so hard for the little boy. That connection is one of the things that drew Harper to Diego, other than the intense attraction. I loved seeing Harper decide to go after Diego, fighting through her nervousness. There was no doubt that their physical relationship was explosive, and it didn't take long for each of them to realize that they wanted more. But Diego is still hiding the real reason he is there, and that secret comes out in the worst possible way. I ached for Harper and her feelings of betrayal that just piled up on her fears for Nathan's safety. She didn't want to trust Diego, but she knew deep down that he was the one who could get Nathan back. I ached for Diego, too, because he hated that he had hurt Harper. I loved his determination and seeing his take charge attitude. He was also sensitive to Harper's feelings and found ways to help her deal with what was going on. There's a great scene where they end up facing part of Harper's past, and he doesn't react the way she expects. Both of them have to overcome their pasts before they can believe in a future together. I loved their big moment at the end as they each take a risk on expressing their feelings.

The suspense of the story was just as compelling as the romance. The thought that they were betrayed by one of their own motivates Diego and Lansky to get to the truth. I loved how their commander paired the two up; Diego with his reluctance to believe that it is possible, and Lansky with his absolute conviction that Ramsey, and possibly Harper, are guilty as sin. The conversations between these two give both sides of an extremely volatile situation. It was fascinating to see them work to discover the truth. There were also questions raised by the box Harper received, that the men knew nothing about. It revealed a possible second player in the game, adding to the intensity. Each new piece of information helped put the puzzle together, and Nathan's kidnapping created an undeniable urgency. I loved seeing the members of the team come together to find him. The buildup to the final confrontation was intense. I loved Diego's determination and initiative. There was an interesting twist that I did not expect and left a few questions unanswered. I can't wait for the next book.