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.

A SEAL Forever - Anne Elizabeth (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Dec 2015)

Series: West Coast Navy SEALs (Book 3)

Even a hero needs someone to believe in him...

Parkour instructor Maura Maxwell has always denied her attraction for her bachelor neighbor because she's seen his revolving door of women and doesn't want to become another notch on his belt. But the man who rescues her from a sudden storm isn't the one she thinks she knows-he's Master Chief Declan Swifton of SEAL Team Five, and he literally sweeps Maura off her feet.

Just as his teasing and tenderness start to work their way into Maura's heart, Declan and his team are called in for a dangerous op in the Middle East. The man who returns is facing the toughest fight of his life, and he needs Maura by his side more than ever...

Very good book. Maura and Declan are neighbors who share a balcony in their apartment building. Maura is attracted to Declan, but too shy to do anything about it, especially seeing the variety of beautiful women who pass through his apartment. Declan is a Navy SEAL who makes no secret of his avoidance of committing to any one woman. His job makes relationships difficult, and a SEAL is all he's ever wanted to be. When Declan rescues her from a stormy dip in the ocean, it's the impetus she needs to go after what she wants.

I really liked Maura. She may be shy around Declan, but when it comes to the rest of her life, she's a hard charger. As a gymnast, she lost her Olympic dream when she was involved in a car accident. Now she teaches parkour and gymnastics and dreams of owning her own gym - a dream that is about to come true. She's also a woman with a big heart, which shows in the way she cares for the kids and families who use her gym. I loved how her brush with death motivated her to overcome her shyness with Declan. She is also a woman with incredible inner strength. She used that strength to beat her injuries, and she used it again to help Declan.

Declan was great. He is a SEAL with a lot of years in the teams. What he does is a huge part of who he is. He has a great relationship with his Team brothers, and I loved the scenes of them together. Though I was a bit mad at Declan  that first night after he rescued Maura, when he followed through on his plans with another woman, that didn't last long. Once he really got to know Maura, that was it for him. Declan is a big, strong guy of course, but is also pretty sensitive. He has good insights into what makes people tick and has a talent for bringing out the best in them.

I loved the development of their relationship. Their first date, where she asked him out to say thank you for saving her, was really unexpected. I loved how it turned out, and it was a good indicator of how their relationship would go. Over the course of several weeks, Declan realized that there was something different about the way he felt for Maura. Instead of being bored after a few dates, there was always something new to be learned about her, or to do with her. This had never happened to him before and had him believing that there might be a future for them together. Maura feels the same about him, but she has a few doubts. She worries that she isn't enough, and an encounter with an old girlfriend of his has her questioning their relationship. She pulls away, and by the time she sees the light, he's been called away on a mission.

The description of the mission and its aftermath are very well done. During the whole thing I felt as though I was there. Declan's injuries were life-threatening and I ached for him when he found out just how bad they were. His own inner strength and determination came out as he knew he had choices in how he dealt with them. I ached for his fear that he would lose his work with the SEALs because of them. I was also a bit mad that he never contacted Maura the whole time he was in the hospital, though I sort of understood his reasoning. I loved how the closeness of the SEAL family was shown in the support that he got while in the hospital.

Declan was worried about how Maura would react when she saw him. I was a little surprised at how smoothly that went as I would have expected at least some anger over the long silence. Most likely because of her own injuries, Maura is very accepting of his. But she's also no pushover, and doesn't let him wallow in his fears for long. I loved her gentle butt-kicking, and the effect it had on him. Their progress together, as Declan learns to cope with his new reality, strengthened their relationship. I also loved how her push also got him looking at a new direction in his life with the SEALs. I loved Declan's big moment at the end, and the epilogue was a nice addition.

I loved all the interactions with Declan's Teammates, both his and Maura's. The closeness of the brotherhood really came out in the post-injury support. I loved that there was no pity, only the effort to make things as normal as possible. From adapting his motorcycle to being his support team for the triathlon, they were there for him. I also loved their acceptance of Maura, especially during his emergency surgery. I would love to see Leaper get his own story.