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Publication
BBC Audiobooks America (2003), Edition: Unabridged Audiobook, Downloadable WMA/MP3 Audiofile, 13 hrs 50 mins
Description
Fiction. Romance. HTML: There are eight words Meg Moore has never been able to forget: "The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists." But what was merely a chilling warning when she worked as a translator in a European embassy, now spells out a potential death sentence for her daughter and grandmother who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists. Meg has to act - and quickly. Going against everything she was taught, she will now do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything - even kill - to save her child. When Navy SEAL Lieutenant, junior grade, John Nilsson is summoned to Washington, D.C., by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn't seen her in years, but he's never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jendoyle2000
This one passed the treadmill test with flying colors. Not only was I unpleasantly surprised that the treadmill came to an automatic stop after 60 minutes (darn YMCA), but I actually willingly then went onto the elliptical so that I could finish the last twenty pages. Unfortunately, I'd actually
Were there weaknesses? Well, yes, I can't deny that. I won't go into specifics in order not to provide spoilers, but, well, if the plot revolves around Meg trying to find her daughter and, at the same time, trying to keep one step ahead of Nils... BUT Nils is a Navy SEAL so, of course, it's pretty unlikely she'll be able to actually manage that while in the middle of the most stressful time in her life... Well, you can imagine that that needs to be a bit of an ongoing thing since there are 400 pages of tension that need to be built up, but yes, there were a few times when I was, like, "Really? We're doing this again?"
And yet I didn't mind. (O.k. There was only one time that I rolled my eyes. Just for one tiny little second.) Brockmann managed to believably keep them apart while at the same time writing their backstory in a way that both explained how they managed to be in this predicament while also giving us the romance that we wanted but weren't getting in real time. (Although we were getting something better than that, but that's a spoiler thing.) So when the ending came, it didn't fall into the tidy-wrapping-up-in-two-pages trap that a lot of romances fall into, and yet we get the HEA we wanted. (That's not a spoiler. It's a romance, so HEA is part of the deal, right?)
In itself, that probably would have been enough for me to give it five stars. But this also had going for it:
* Starting off with a Kobayashi Maru -- and then managing two more of these, without my ever once thinking that it was too much. (Well, obviously, I have a high suspension-of-disbelief capacity, but I do have a bulls**t meter and it didn't go off once.) Not to mention that Brockmann's description of Nils put Chris Pine into my head, where he happily stayed for the rest of the book.
* A LOL moment in which I had another one of those near-hysterical laughing fits while on the treadmill at the YMCA.
* A fantastic, feisty, marathon-running 75-year-old grandmother with a backstory that was awesome.
* A WWII story about something I had no idea had ever happened, but that had a much different (better!) outcome than the WWII story in Troubleshooters Book 1.
* A secondary -- or, I guess, tertiary -- romance that was the best sidebar romance I've read yet, and that leaves me hungry for Troubleshooters, Book 3.
Among my favorite lines:
"Thanks, L.T.," Nils said again. "Look, Lieutenant, I know I owe you an explanation for-"
"You do," Paoletti interrupted. COs could get away with interrupting whenever they wanted. "After this is over, you will be spending a good long time in my office. With the door closed. While I go down a list. A very long list."
"L.T., I am sorry-"
"Yale, right, Nilsson?"
"Uh, yes, sir. I went to Yale."
"In that case, Ivy League Genius, do you really need me to define after for you?"
AND...
In the past, he'd used a lot of different tactics when facing potential no-win scenarios. he wasn't afraid to ask for outside help if the situation called for it.
And this situation called for all the help he could get -- including divine intervention.
He wasn't asking much -- just that Meg's little girl be kept alive until he could get there. That's all he wanted.
He and his team would take it from there.
If that isn't Alpha Male, then I don't know what is.
Within a span of twenty pages, I was laughing, crying (sad), crying (happy), and then laughing again, which is pretty much a summary of the whole book as far as I'm concerned. This is definitely one for the favorites list.
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gone for most of that 60 minutes at a speed that was faster than my usual, so I had to stop. UGH. But anything that has me going on an elliptical AFTER I've already been on the treadmill for 60 minutes? Five stars. Most definitely five stars. Were there weaknesses? Well, yes, I can't deny that. I won't go into specifics in order not to provide spoilers, but, well, if the plot revolves around Meg trying to find her daughter and, at the same time, trying to keep one step ahead of Nils... BUT Nils is a Navy SEAL so, of course, it's pretty unlikely she'll be able to actually manage that while in the middle of the most stressful time in her life... Well, you can imagine that that needs to be a bit of an ongoing thing since there are 400 pages of tension that need to be built up, but yes, there were a few times when I was, like, "Really? We're doing this again?"
And yet I didn't mind. (O.k. There was only one time that I rolled my eyes. Just for one tiny little second.) Brockmann managed to believably keep them apart while at the same time writing their backstory in a way that both explained how they managed to be in this predicament while also giving us the romance that we wanted but weren't getting in real time. (Although we were getting something better than that, but that's a spoiler thing.) So when the ending came, it didn't fall into the tidy-wrapping-up-in-two-pages trap that a lot of romances fall into, and yet we get the HEA we wanted. (That's not a spoiler. It's a romance, so HEA is part of the deal, right?)
In itself, that probably would have been enough for me to give it five stars. But this also had going for it:
* Starting off with a Kobayashi Maru -- and then managing two more of these, without my ever once thinking that it was too much. (Well, obviously, I have a high suspension-of-disbelief capacity, but I do have a bulls**t meter and it didn't go off once.) Not to mention that Brockmann's description of Nils put Chris Pine into my head, where he happily stayed for the rest of the book.
* A LOL moment in which I had another one of those near-hysterical laughing fits while on the treadmill at the YMCA.
* A fantastic, feisty, marathon-running 75-year-old grandmother with a backstory that was awesome.
* A WWII story about something I had no idea had ever happened, but that had a much different (better!) outcome than the WWII story in Troubleshooters Book 1.
* A secondary -- or, I guess, tertiary -- romance that was the best sidebar romance I've read yet, and that leaves me hungry for Troubleshooters, Book 3.
Among my favorite lines:
"Thanks, L.T.," Nils said again. "Look, Lieutenant, I know I owe you an explanation for-"
"You do," Paoletti interrupted. COs could get away with interrupting whenever they wanted. "After this is over, you will be spending a good long time in my office. With the door closed. While I go down a list. A very long list."
"L.T., I am sorry-"
"Yale, right, Nilsson?"
"Uh, yes, sir. I went to Yale."
"In that case, Ivy League Genius, do you really need me to define after for you?"
AND...
In the past, he'd used a lot of different tactics when facing potential no-win scenarios. he wasn't afraid to ask for outside help if the situation called for it.
And this situation called for all the help he could get -- including divine intervention.
He wasn't asking much -- just that Meg's little girl be kept alive until he could get there. That's all he wanted.
He and his team would take it from there.
If that isn't Alpha Male, then I don't know what is.
Within a span of twenty pages, I was laughing, crying (sad), crying (happy), and then laughing again, which is pretty much a summary of the whole book as far as I'm concerned. This is definitely one for the favorites list.
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LibraryThing member msralways
Didn't hold my interest as much as the first one nor was it as good. I loved John and all the backstories, but Meg just got on my last nerve. She made this rushed decisions and then screw the consequences, and she was quite annoying too. Those three stars that I gave was basically for the secondary
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stories which focused on Locke/Sam and Eve/Ralph that were just awesome story points. Still, I'll be reading the next book in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Meg Moore is in an almost impossible situation, her mother and daughter are being held hostage in order to ensure that she delivers a man to them, a man who is willing to die. She asks for help from Navy SEAL Lieutenant John Nilsson as she negotiates, knowing that he could help and then she jerks
Meanwhile you hear her mother's story of World War II and love while she plays a Scheherazade type gambit to keep one of her captors interested in them, convinced that she's a person and wanting to know how the story ends, while at the same time keeping her grand-daughter distracted.
Overall an interesting story, nothing too deep but reads quite well and I found it enjoyable.
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him around. Some of it is understandable but some of it is plain annoying. However John is deeply in love with Meg and he's willing to cut her a lot of slack.Meanwhile you hear her mother's story of World War II and love while she plays a Scheherazade type gambit to keep one of her captors interested in them, convinced that she's a person and wanting to know how the story ends, while at the same time keeping her grand-daughter distracted.
Overall an interesting story, nothing too deep but reads quite well and I found it enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Just as good as the first one. Again, several romances and hints of future ones - the major romance that was set up in Unsung gets a few steps further but it's still hanging fire. The major one in this book is an exercise in frustration on several levels! And the frame is interesting and weird. The
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tracking burrs are very convenient - but nicely tossed off in an unrelated conversation. And the way Eve managed her captivity was great. I liked the end, though it might be thought something of a letdown. But everyone got out OK, even...(slight spoiler) Bear. Show Less
LibraryThing member Archieve
I'm giving this book 5 stars, because of the secondary characters: Sam and Alyssa. These two have captured my attention. I loved the tension between these two. Sam had the hots for Alyssa for very long time. She plagued this sexy Texan mind for years and he had to have her. Of course, his method of
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getting the girl was to go the school boy's route. He would nag at her. Do things to get her upset. Call her names that he knew she didn't like. That was his way of saying, I like you woman! See me - your lion, roar! Okay, Sam wasn't Alyssa's lion just yet, but he was showing how beauty - sexy he was. Alyssa wasn't innocent, she wanted the sexy Texan lion to see that she was indeed a lioness. One that had eyes for the roaring lion. I love the way that Sam teased Alyssa. Oh, the park scene was cute. Sam was never shy about what he wanted from Alyssa. One thing he wanted was to sleep with her, but another thing he wanted from her was a relationship. He wanted to be able to sit down with her and talk. Which, those two would always fight. Say something to make the other mad. Sam was rude to Alyssa and she was to him as well. These two came together in this book and set the pages on fire. Sam is a chocoholic. Alyssa knew that he ate Peanut M&M's, but she found out just how much of a chocolate lover he was that night via chocolate syrup. Thanks to her, Sam's love for chocolate raised 10 times higher. What more can I say about these two? They belong together. Show Less
LibraryThing member ZosiaCanberra
Why should you read this book? Because the main relationship is just fantastic.
This second book in the series was written the way the first one should have been. Meaning it was a military romance that actually included military and romance (unlike the women’s fictiony first book that bored me to
I’m going to admit I did some very light skim reading of some parts of this book, because I knew from my experience with book one that the World War Two parts took away from the main story.
Meg’s daughter and grandmother have been kidnapped by terrorists and they demand an exchange from Meg. She must kill or kidnap a man in exchange for her family. What they don’t know is she has a connection - a past relationship of sorts - with a Navy SEAL who she immediately asks for to help. What followed was a brilliant opening sequence of a hostage situation in an embassy, and action and excitement that didn’t let up (at least as far as the main storyline went) until the book was finished.
But, okay. Rant. Kazbekistan. KAZBEKISTAN??!! A made-up Islamic country full of deserts and oil fields, in...EASTERN EUROPE?! Where in lush, green, Catholic and Orthodox Eastern Europe is this mythical ‘Stan’ land? Where in the land of people called things like Sophia, Anna and Tomas is there a country where people have names like Osman Razeen? Perhaps the author meant Central Asia? Or the Middle East? That, on top of some bizarre apparent support of corrupt Vladimir Putin left be with a bitter taste in my mouth.
It’s a pity Brockmann felt the need to do this, as she doesn’t always have made up places as the ‘baddies’, and it somewhat ruined a great story.
I loved the main relationship but for a few little things.
Meg became annoying after a while. It was understandable at first that she pushed John away, but as the drama went on and she kept getting rid of him at gunpoint and pushing him away emotionally it became a bit stupid. A woman with no experience of kidnapping or terrorism has a highly trained, highly decorated Navy SEAL - who she knows is in love with her - at her disposal and not giving up on her, and yet she refuses to let him help her?! Towards the end I just wanted to smack some sense into the woman.
That said, I loved this couple, and I was definitely in love with John pretty early on in the story. He protected Meg and looked out for her and yet he continued to let her make decisions, to keep her freedom in choosing what to do in the terrible situation. What a great hero!
The World War Two flashbacks that have a tendency to take over these books come across as forced and are extremely unnecessary. I love books about that war, but I do not enjoy a war story from decades ago taking up a third of a contemporary military story. It’s boring, and it dilutes the action in the present. In fact, as soon as the great granny story started up in this one, I started skim reading those parts. If I want a Second World War story I’ll go pick up The Bronze Horseman.
I enjoyed the Sam and Alyssa story, but I have a few issues with the huge part they play in this series. Boy does it ever drive me crazy when an author has a favourite couple and features them prominently in every book of their series. I can’t think of a single time where the author’s favourites have been my favourites, and so I get sick of reading about them very quickly. Here it’s Alyssa and Sam, and Alyssa is possibly the coldest, most boring character in the entire series. I don’t hate them as a couple (or potential couple) so much as hate any couple who hijack everyone else’s stories. If they have to go on running the series, Alyssa’s going to have to be a bit nicer in the future, thank you very much!
I am giving this four stars though I didn’t like some aspects of the book. The main story is a five star read. Unlike the incredibly slow and boring main story in the first book, this one is fast-paced and full of emotion. I loved it. On the other hand the secondary story involving the Second World War was a waste of page space, and the made up country was not only silly, but rather insulting for a number of reasons. I quite liked the Sam and Alyssa story, but Alyssa is not a sympathetic character. However I really liked the main story and John and Meg were a very memorable couple whose story I’m sure I will read again. This series isn’t perfect, but it’s fun.
This second book in the series was written the way the first one should have been. Meaning it was a military romance that actually included military and romance (unlike the women’s fictiony first book that bored me to
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tears). I only read it out of a sense of obligation after hating the first book, but it was actually a very good read. But there’s one big glaring thing that made me mad (namely an insultingly stupid made up country that sat smack bang on the wrong continent), and I am going to go on a rant in a moment. I also do not enjoy the endless passages devoted to the Second World War. When I pick up a contemporary romance, I want a CONTEMPORARY romance. Too much telling, not enough showing. I’m going to admit I did some very light skim reading of some parts of this book, because I knew from my experience with book one that the World War Two parts took away from the main story.
Meg’s daughter and grandmother have been kidnapped by terrorists and they demand an exchange from Meg. She must kill or kidnap a man in exchange for her family. What they don’t know is she has a connection - a past relationship of sorts - with a Navy SEAL who she immediately asks for to help. What followed was a brilliant opening sequence of a hostage situation in an embassy, and action and excitement that didn’t let up (at least as far as the main storyline went) until the book was finished.
But, okay. Rant. Kazbekistan. KAZBEKISTAN??!! A made-up Islamic country full of deserts and oil fields, in...EASTERN EUROPE?! Where in lush, green, Catholic and Orthodox Eastern Europe is this mythical ‘Stan’ land? Where in the land of people called things like Sophia, Anna and Tomas is there a country where people have names like Osman Razeen? Perhaps the author meant Central Asia? Or the Middle East? That, on top of some bizarre apparent support of corrupt Vladimir Putin left be with a bitter taste in my mouth.
It’s a pity Brockmann felt the need to do this, as she doesn’t always have made up places as the ‘baddies’, and it somewhat ruined a great story.
I loved the main relationship but for a few little things.
Meg became annoying after a while. It was understandable at first that she pushed John away, but as the drama went on and she kept getting rid of him at gunpoint and pushing him away emotionally it became a bit stupid. A woman with no experience of kidnapping or terrorism has a highly trained, highly decorated Navy SEAL - who she knows is in love with her - at her disposal and not giving up on her, and yet she refuses to let him help her?! Towards the end I just wanted to smack some sense into the woman.
That said, I loved this couple, and I was definitely in love with John pretty early on in the story. He protected Meg and looked out for her and yet he continued to let her make decisions, to keep her freedom in choosing what to do in the terrible situation. What a great hero!
The World War Two flashbacks that have a tendency to take over these books come across as forced and are extremely unnecessary. I love books about that war, but I do not enjoy a war story from decades ago taking up a third of a contemporary military story. It’s boring, and it dilutes the action in the present. In fact, as soon as the great granny story started up in this one, I started skim reading those parts. If I want a Second World War story I’ll go pick up The Bronze Horseman.
I enjoyed the Sam and Alyssa story, but I have a few issues with the huge part they play in this series. Boy does it ever drive me crazy when an author has a favourite couple and features them prominently in every book of their series. I can’t think of a single time where the author’s favourites have been my favourites, and so I get sick of reading about them very quickly. Here it’s Alyssa and Sam, and Alyssa is possibly the coldest, most boring character in the entire series. I don’t hate them as a couple (or potential couple) so much as hate any couple who hijack everyone else’s stories. If they have to go on running the series, Alyssa’s going to have to be a bit nicer in the future, thank you very much!
I am giving this four stars though I didn’t like some aspects of the book. The main story is a five star read. Unlike the incredibly slow and boring main story in the first book, this one is fast-paced and full of emotion. I loved it. On the other hand the secondary story involving the Second World War was a waste of page space, and the made up country was not only silly, but rather insulting for a number of reasons. I quite liked the Sam and Alyssa story, but Alyssa is not a sympathetic character. However I really liked the main story and John and Meg were a very memorable couple whose story I’m sure I will read again. This series isn’t perfect, but it’s fun.
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LibraryThing member Lost_Lenore
When some terrorists, that have taken her daughter and grandmother hostages, approach Meg Moore she doesn't think twice and agrees to go to the Kazabeck embassy and abduct the ambassador. She has no demands except to talk with Lt. John Nilsson, a navy SEAL that she met a long time ago.
When John
I didn't like this one. I like John character, even if he was/is a liar I still get why he did it but Meg, even after all the things she been through, she keeps on lying and lying. This love affair for me does not stick (sorry Suzanne), it seems rushed and a little forced, as if Meg was doing John a favor.
On the other hand, I loved Sam, Alyssa, Eve, and Ralph. For me, in this book, the subplots worked better.
Overall, it was good to read and yeah, I will read it again but only because of Sam.
When John
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gets the call to go into a hostage situation and learns that it is Meg the abductor, all he can do is help her even if he loses his career. And all because he never had forgotten her or the kiss they shared in the past.I didn't like this one. I like John character, even if he was/is a liar I still get why he did it but Meg, even after all the things she been through, she keeps on lying and lying. This love affair for me does not stick (sorry Suzanne), it seems rushed and a little forced, as if Meg was doing John a favor.
On the other hand, I loved Sam, Alyssa, Eve, and Ralph. For me, in this book, the subplots worked better.
Overall, it was good to read and yeah, I will read it again but only because of Sam.
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LibraryThing member AddictedToMorphemes
The Defiant Hero
Troubleshooters series #2
Meg Moore's daughter (Amy) and grandmother (Eve) are abducted by Kazbekistani Extremists. In exchange for their "safe" return, she is to deliver to them another terrorist from an opposing political faction. Of course, she is not to tell anyone or get help
There were two other story lines in this novel that were exceptional, however.
One was between Sam Starrett, another member of the SEAL team, and sharpshooter Alyssa Locke, now part of the FBI's counter-terrorism unit. They had history in book 1 of this series and their pairing in this one was terrific. We are starting to see the vulnerability in both of these characters which makes them more interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens between them in the future. I think I have to wait until book 6 for that one. Grr.
The other followed the story of Eve's past, told in flashbacks taking place during World War II when she was only 15. She met and fell in love with Ralph Grayson who acted as a tutor to Eve's younger brother, Nicolas. Ralph and Eve were parted when he entered the war serving with the British Expeditionary Force. They both served important roles in the Battle of Dunkirk. He was part of a unit of men holding back German panzers from reaching the beaches of Dunkirk, and she, using a small sailing yacht, spent several days ferrying evacuating British soldiers from Dunkirk, France across the English Channel.
Unlike some other reviewers, I really enjoy these flashbacks to the stories from WWII. This one didn't tie in as well to the present as the story told in book 1, but I don't think it detracted from the contemporary story. It was used to bring some humanity and a common bond between Eve, Amy, and one of their captors.
Troubleshooters series #2
Meg Moore's daughter (Amy) and grandmother (Eve) are abducted by Kazbekistani Extremists. In exchange for their "safe" return, she is to deliver to them another terrorist from an opposing political faction. Of course, she is not to tell anyone or get help
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from anyone, etc., etc. After taking hostages in the K-stan embassy, she calls upon an old friend of hers, L.T. (jg) John Nilsson, a member of SEAL Team Sixteen to act as hostage negotiator. It goes from bad to worse when she dupes him as well and he is left to try to track her and her chosen hostage down before the feds find her and take her down using deadly force. There is a lot of tiresome back and forth between the two of them because Meg is just a knucklehead who insists on trying to handle the situation herself and refuses to trust him, even though he specializes in counter-terrorism. He clearly cares for her since he continues to put his job on the line for her (not to mention refraining from knocking her on her butt for being a PITA), but she repeatedly lies to him and cons him. (Run away, Nils, run away.)There were two other story lines in this novel that were exceptional, however.
One was between Sam Starrett, another member of the SEAL team, and sharpshooter Alyssa Locke, now part of the FBI's counter-terrorism unit. They had history in book 1 of this series and their pairing in this one was terrific. We are starting to see the vulnerability in both of these characters which makes them more interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens between them in the future. I think I have to wait until book 6 for that one. Grr.
The other followed the story of Eve's past, told in flashbacks taking place during World War II when she was only 15. She met and fell in love with Ralph Grayson who acted as a tutor to Eve's younger brother, Nicolas. Ralph and Eve were parted when he entered the war serving with the British Expeditionary Force. They both served important roles in the Battle of Dunkirk. He was part of a unit of men holding back German panzers from reaching the beaches of Dunkirk, and she, using a small sailing yacht, spent several days ferrying evacuating British soldiers from Dunkirk, France across the English Channel.
Unlike some other reviewers, I really enjoy these flashbacks to the stories from WWII. This one didn't tie in as well to the present as the story told in book 1, but I don't think it detracted from the contemporary story. It was used to bring some humanity and a common bond between Eve, Amy, and one of their captors.
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LibraryThing member beckymmoe
I have to agree with other reviews I've glanced at--for most of the novel, the main female protagonist is just too stupid to be believed. Let's see--your daughter is taken hostage by a terrorist extremist group and they want you to use your connections as a linguist to hold another terrorist
Um, NO. Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? I pretty much felt like about three-forths of the book was rediculously pointless, due to her extreme stupidity.
This one definitely wasn't of the same caliber of the first in the Troubleshooters series, The Unsung Hero. For this one, I definitely was looking forward to hearing the stories of the secondary characters--Eve and Ralph from World War II era and Sam and Alyssa from present day--more than those of the main characters, Meg and John. Actually, come to think of it, Alyssa was really annoying me as well, with her larger-than-the-average-boulder-sized chips on her shoulder regarding her gender and race. I'm not saying there isn't some truth to what she experienced, but she took it way to far. For someone who wants to be judged on her own merits, she sure is awfully judgemental about Sam/Roger/Houston (at this point, I don't even remember what his real name is. Hopefully I'll have it figured out by his book, which I think is number six). She definitely has a lot of growing to do before she gets my vote as a sympathetic character; at this point I'm thinking Sam can definitely do better. Which leaves me with Eve and Ralph. I loved their story! Definitely a highlight of the book, especially since it wasn't obvious from the start what was going to happen there. It almost made up for the rest of the book. Almost. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series, but this one will never be counted among one of my favorites.
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hostage at his embassy and then deliver him to them in exchange for your daughter's life. Okay. Now, would you have a better chance of getting your daughter out of that situation alone, or with a team of Navy SEALS and FBI behind you? Hmmmmm...wait, I need to think about this...professionals who I already know are good at their job and trustworthy, or just me. Wait...still thinking. No, I'm pretty sure I can do it on my own. Well, I'll use them a little bit, but will essentially be lying to them about almost everything and then STILL do the bulk of it all by myself. Yes, that sounds like a plan.Um, NO. Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? I pretty much felt like about three-forths of the book was rediculously pointless, due to her extreme stupidity.
This one definitely wasn't of the same caliber of the first in the Troubleshooters series, The Unsung Hero. For this one, I definitely was looking forward to hearing the stories of the secondary characters--Eve and Ralph from World War II era and Sam and Alyssa from present day--more than those of the main characters, Meg and John. Actually, come to think of it, Alyssa was really annoying me as well, with her larger-than-the-average-boulder-sized chips on her shoulder regarding her gender and race. I'm not saying there isn't some truth to what she experienced, but she took it way to far. For someone who wants to be judged on her own merits, she sure is awfully judgemental about Sam/Roger/Houston (at this point, I don't even remember what his real name is. Hopefully I'll have it figured out by his book, which I think is number six). She definitely has a lot of growing to do before she gets my vote as a sympathetic character; at this point I'm thinking Sam can definitely do better. Which leaves me with Eve and Ralph. I loved their story! Definitely a highlight of the book, especially since it wasn't obvious from the start what was going to happen there. It almost made up for the rest of the book. Almost. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series, but this one will never be counted among one of my favorites.
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LibraryThing member castiron
A romance in which the female lead’s daughter and grandmother have been kidnapped by terrorists, and the male lead is a Navy SEAL. I loved Brockman's Unsung Hero, but this one didn’t work as well for me. I enjoyed the suspense plot and the subplots — I love the grandmother! — but I don’t
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buy the main characters’ romance. Show Less
LibraryThing member jayble
Suzanne Brockmann has quickly become one of my favorite authors. In the second installment of her Troubleshooters? series, the focus is on John ?Nils? Nilsson and a frantic mother, Meg Moore. Meg?s daughter and grandmother have been kidnapped by terrorists in order to force Meg to kill or kidnap a
This is my least favorite of the Troubleshooters? series. I love John Nilsson, but it took me quite a while to warm up to Meg. It was not until the very end of the book that I liked her. This is mainly because she was under duress the entire novel, but the Nils' character more than makes up for my dislike of Meg. An extra chapter or a glimmer or two of her treating Nils with the love and trust he deserved from her would have helped. Fortunately, this happens in future books (at least, it is heavily implied!).
Equally captivating was the WWII story and the beginning of the Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke saga. As many other reviewers have spoken of Alyssa and Sam, I will not delve too deeply in that direction. Their storyline continues in the next two books in this series. This was one of my favorite WWII storylines! Ralph (pronounced Rafe) was by far my favorite WWII hero, and I was as captivated by their story as I was by the rest of the novel. This book also blended the WWII storyline much better than Unsung Hero.
Suzanne Brockmann is a brilliant author and this series has quickly inserted itself in my top ten, along with the Anita Blake series, J.D. Robb?s Eve Dallas series, and Christine Feehan?s Dark series.
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foreign diplomat.This is my least favorite of the Troubleshooters? series. I love John Nilsson, but it took me quite a while to warm up to Meg. It was not until the very end of the book that I liked her. This is mainly because she was under duress the entire novel, but the Nils' character more than makes up for my dislike of Meg. An extra chapter or a glimmer or two of her treating Nils with the love and trust he deserved from her would have helped. Fortunately, this happens in future books (at least, it is heavily implied!).
Equally captivating was the WWII story and the beginning of the Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke saga. As many other reviewers have spoken of Alyssa and Sam, I will not delve too deeply in that direction. Their storyline continues in the next two books in this series. This was one of my favorite WWII storylines! Ralph (pronounced Rafe) was by far my favorite WWII hero, and I was as captivated by their story as I was by the rest of the novel. This book also blended the WWII storyline much better than Unsung Hero.
Suzanne Brockmann is a brilliant author and this series has quickly inserted itself in my top ten, along with the Anita Blake series, J.D. Robb?s Eve Dallas series, and Christine Feehan?s Dark series.
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LibraryThing member rolsjunie
I love Suzanne Brockmann. While this was a good read, I was more involved with the secondary romance of Sam and Alyssa than I was by the main romance of Nils and Meg.
LibraryThing member Lauren2013
This book's one saving grace is the developing romance between Alyssa and Sam.
Nils and Meg are not an appealing couple - the constant reminder of the age difference between them is a complete turn off and the suspense plot is completely contrived. In real life, the terrorists would have killed her
Hopefully, the next one will be better.
Nils and Meg are not an appealing couple - the constant reminder of the age difference between them is a complete turn off and the suspense plot is completely contrived. In real life, the terrorists would have killed her
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family the second she took hostages.Hopefully, the next one will be better.
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LibraryThing member mariannedawnl
The heroine's continued insistance to do things her way when she is clueless as to how to handle terrioist is, frankly, rediculous. It's impossible to enjoy a romance when you spend 80% of the time wanting to struggle the heroine.
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Former Foreign Service officer Meg Moore has just been informed that her ten-year-old daughter Amy has been kidnapped. Kazbekistani terrorists have snatched Amy, a well as Meg’s grandmother, Eve, off the street and told Meg that she must help them in finding and killing one of their archrivals,
Brockmann expertly maneuvers readers between John and Meg's non-stop adventure, a provocative love/hate relationship involving two members of John's special team, and poignant flashbacks to World War II and the story of how grandmother Eve found true love.
The plot was implausible and I didn't believe the love story angle at all. I do enjoy military hero romantic suspense and the preview of Book 3, Over the Edge, looked interesting. I plan to continue the Troubleshooters series and hope this one was just a blip.
1427
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Osman Razeen. This is a mother who will do anything to save her child, including walking into the Kazbekistani embassy in Washington and taking Razeen hostage, while she demands that the authorities find and bring her the only person she can imagine helping her, Navy Lt. John Nilsson.Brockmann expertly maneuvers readers between John and Meg's non-stop adventure, a provocative love/hate relationship involving two members of John's special team, and poignant flashbacks to World War II and the story of how grandmother Eve found true love.
The plot was implausible and I didn't believe the love story angle at all. I do enjoy military hero romantic suspense and the preview of Book 3, Over the Edge, looked interesting. I plan to continue the Troubleshooters series and hope this one was just a blip.
1427
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LibraryThing member mom2lnb
The Defiant Hero is the second book of Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters romantic suspense series. This one features John “Nils” Nilsson and Meg Moore who met three years earlier when John was on a mission with his SEAL team to rescue a CIA operative inside Kazbekistan. The team took refuge
John’s backstory of his growing up years prior to joining the Navy isn’t really revealed until near the end of the book, so I don’t want to give away spoilers. A part of me wishes it had been explored a little more deeply, but at the same time, I understand why the author chose to write it this way. That being the case, we pick up with him in a SEAL training exercise after which he gets the call about Meg being holed up in the Kazbekistani embassy with prisoners. It’s so out of character for her, that he knows he has to help, and all the Troubleshooters go with him. All throughout the book, the story alternates between the events unfolding in the present and John’s first two meetings with Meg, where we learn how he got to know her and about the feelings they’ve shared ever since. John is six years younger than Meg, but he never comes off at too young for her. He’s confident, and as would be expected of a SEAL, cool under pressure. After Meg runs and he catches up to her, he’s insistent upon coming with her all the way to the end, even though she keeps trying to get rid of him. At the same time, though, he could have easily overpowered her at any time but chose not to, knowing that he needed to allow her to make her own decision to give herself up. I love how flirtatious he was with her during their earlier meetings and how he was incensed on her behalf over her husband’s infidelities, not understanding in the least how a man could cheat on a woman like her. John had a rough and unsavory past, but I could sense that he’d grown in the years since, although he’s a pretty typical alpha male when it comes to his reticence surrounding talking about it. He’s always kind and gentle with Meg and her daughter, but at the same time, brave and fearless, wanting nothing more than to protect them both with his life. Overall he was a well-rounded hero that I really liked.
When Meg first met John, she was at a crossroads, trying to decide what to do about her marriage. The second time they met up, she was separated from her husband, but had already decided to try again to make things work between them for the sake of her daughter. She thought she could just be friends with John, but it soon became obvious that their attraction was too strong for that to work, which is why they hadn’t spoken for three years until she asked for him after taking the hostages. She doesn’t really want to do any of the things she’s doing, but she firmly believes it’s the only way to save her daughter and grandmother. For her child’s sake, she’s willing to do anything, including giving her own life or taking a life. When John shows up at the embassy, she’s relieved to see him, but she knows she can’t stop once they’re safely out. Instead, she takes her hostage and runs, only to have John track her down. Although she threatens to shoot him if he doesn’t leave, I knew deep down that she wouldn’t. She reluctantly allows him to accompany her on her trip to a point, and although quite stubborn, she eventually allows herself to lean on him, hoping it’s the right thing to do. A few times, I was a little frustrated at Meg for so obstinately trying to push John away after she’d called him for help, but at the same time, I understood where she was coming from. She was just a mother desperate to save her child, and although she pushed her feelings for John aside at first, she obviously cared enough that she didn’t want to see him get hurt either. Clearly she was a good mom to be willing to lay everything on the line for her daughter. I’m glad, though, that she finally let John really help her and let him into her heart, even though she thought their mission was doomed.
In addition to the main storyline, The Defiant Hero has two subplots in which other characters get their own POV scenes. We get Meg’s grandmother, Eve’s perspective as she tries to figure out a way to escape the terrorists. In the meantime, she calms Meg’s daughter, Amy, and tries to appeal to the humanity of one of their captors, by telling the story of her heroic exploits at the battle of Dunkirk during WWII, which is entwined with the story of her first love and first marriage that was achingly sweet and romantic. Both in the past and the present, Eve was a very brave, resourceful and determined lady. The second storyline involves Troubleshooter Sam Starrett and FBI agent Alyssa Locke. These two are constantly butting heads in the beginning until Sam supports Alyssa through a little family drama. Then they end up in an enemies-to-lovers romance that sets the pages on fire. At first, Sam kind of rubbed me the wrong way with his sexism, but he grew on me as their part of the story progressed. Unfortunately Alyssa is concerned about what might happen to her career if word of their affair got out, so she immediately put the kibosh on it before it really had much of a chance to get started. I honestly thought that they were going to get their story in the next book of the series, so I was a little disappointed that it won’t happen until the sixth book, Gone Too Far. Instead, the hero of the next book, Over the Edge, is Troubleshooter, Stan Wolchonok, which surprised me a little, because he wasn’t really a standout character for me. Other supporting characters who get their own books in the series include, Troubleshooters “Wildcard” Karmody (Out of Control), which I’m looking forward to, Mike Muldoon (Into the Night), and “Jenk” Jenkins (Into the Storm), as well as head of the FBI couterterrorism unit Max Bhagat (Breaking Point) and Alyssa’s FBI partner, Jules (All Through the Night).
After seeing rave reviews for the Troubleshooters, I read the first book over a decade ago, expecting to discover my next favorite series. Unfortunately that book was merely okay for me, so it’s taken me a very long time to get around to trying another one. I’m so glad I did, though, because The Defiant Hero turned out to be a great read, so much better than the first one. Overall, Meg and John were wonderful characters. Their romance is a slow-burn that started a few years earlier and even in the present it takes a little while to heat up again. Once it does, it’s a nice combination of sweet and passionate. The suspense plot is extremely well-done. It maintains a nice, steady pace and there are intense parts that kept me on the edge of my seat. I also really enjoyed both of the two subplots this time, something I couldn’t say about the first book. Suzanne Brockmann seems to have a thing for WWII stories, but this time Eve’s was much more engaging and romantic. Sam and Alyssa start out arguing incessantly, which isn’t my favorite way to begin a relationship, but I could tell that part of the issue was them simply trying to fight their attraction to one another. Once they give in to it, they’re fire together, and since things don’t exactly end on a positive note for them, it leaves me eager to read more about them. I hope that they’ll at least be interacting as supporting characters in the next few books, because otherwise it will be a long wait. There were maybe a few small things about the book that weren’t absolutely perfect for me, but the strong conclusion helped to wipe away any earlier misgivings. So this is one of those rare times that giving an author a second chance to wow me really paid off. I’m now looking forward to continuing the series soon.
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in the American embassy, and during those days, a friendship formed between John and Meg who was there with her husband, the ambassador, working as a translator. Meg’s marriage was on the rocks due to her husband’s infidelity, and in a moment of weakness before he left, John stole a kiss that neither has forgotten. The two met up again about six months later, when John was in Washington, D.C. to testify at a hearing about the operation and Meg, now separated from her husband, had moved there. The two spent several magical days together deepening their friendship and almost taking it further, but ultimately Meg decided to try to save her marriage. Now Meg is widowed, and her grandmother and ten-year-old daughter have been kidnapped by Kazbekistani terrorists who’ve threatened to kill them if she doesn’t either abduct or kill a Kazbekistani from a rival terrorist group for them. At a party at the Kazbekistani embassy, Meg takes the man hostage and barricades herself inside the men’s room, telling the hostage negotiator that the only person she’ll deal with is John Nilsson. John and the Troubleshooters rush to D.C. to help, but once they successfully extract Meg and her hostage from the embassy, she tricks them and goes on the run with the man, thinking that the only chance she has to save her daughter and grandmother is to follow the terrorists’ demands precisely. However, she didn’t count on John following her or his stubborn insistence upon helping her. Along the way, the couple reignite their feelings for one another, but will they be able to save Meg’s loved ones without losing their own lives in the process?John’s backstory of his growing up years prior to joining the Navy isn’t really revealed until near the end of the book, so I don’t want to give away spoilers. A part of me wishes it had been explored a little more deeply, but at the same time, I understand why the author chose to write it this way. That being the case, we pick up with him in a SEAL training exercise after which he gets the call about Meg being holed up in the Kazbekistani embassy with prisoners. It’s so out of character for her, that he knows he has to help, and all the Troubleshooters go with him. All throughout the book, the story alternates between the events unfolding in the present and John’s first two meetings with Meg, where we learn how he got to know her and about the feelings they’ve shared ever since. John is six years younger than Meg, but he never comes off at too young for her. He’s confident, and as would be expected of a SEAL, cool under pressure. After Meg runs and he catches up to her, he’s insistent upon coming with her all the way to the end, even though she keeps trying to get rid of him. At the same time, though, he could have easily overpowered her at any time but chose not to, knowing that he needed to allow her to make her own decision to give herself up. I love how flirtatious he was with her during their earlier meetings and how he was incensed on her behalf over her husband’s infidelities, not understanding in the least how a man could cheat on a woman like her. John had a rough and unsavory past, but I could sense that he’d grown in the years since, although he’s a pretty typical alpha male when it comes to his reticence surrounding talking about it. He’s always kind and gentle with Meg and her daughter, but at the same time, brave and fearless, wanting nothing more than to protect them both with his life. Overall he was a well-rounded hero that I really liked.
When Meg first met John, she was at a crossroads, trying to decide what to do about her marriage. The second time they met up, she was separated from her husband, but had already decided to try again to make things work between them for the sake of her daughter. She thought she could just be friends with John, but it soon became obvious that their attraction was too strong for that to work, which is why they hadn’t spoken for three years until she asked for him after taking the hostages. She doesn’t really want to do any of the things she’s doing, but she firmly believes it’s the only way to save her daughter and grandmother. For her child’s sake, she’s willing to do anything, including giving her own life or taking a life. When John shows up at the embassy, she’s relieved to see him, but she knows she can’t stop once they’re safely out. Instead, she takes her hostage and runs, only to have John track her down. Although she threatens to shoot him if he doesn’t leave, I knew deep down that she wouldn’t. She reluctantly allows him to accompany her on her trip to a point, and although quite stubborn, she eventually allows herself to lean on him, hoping it’s the right thing to do. A few times, I was a little frustrated at Meg for so obstinately trying to push John away after she’d called him for help, but at the same time, I understood where she was coming from. She was just a mother desperate to save her child, and although she pushed her feelings for John aside at first, she obviously cared enough that she didn’t want to see him get hurt either. Clearly she was a good mom to be willing to lay everything on the line for her daughter. I’m glad, though, that she finally let John really help her and let him into her heart, even though she thought their mission was doomed.
In addition to the main storyline, The Defiant Hero has two subplots in which other characters get their own POV scenes. We get Meg’s grandmother, Eve’s perspective as she tries to figure out a way to escape the terrorists. In the meantime, she calms Meg’s daughter, Amy, and tries to appeal to the humanity of one of their captors, by telling the story of her heroic exploits at the battle of Dunkirk during WWII, which is entwined with the story of her first love and first marriage that was achingly sweet and romantic. Both in the past and the present, Eve was a very brave, resourceful and determined lady. The second storyline involves Troubleshooter Sam Starrett and FBI agent Alyssa Locke. These two are constantly butting heads in the beginning until Sam supports Alyssa through a little family drama. Then they end up in an enemies-to-lovers romance that sets the pages on fire. At first, Sam kind of rubbed me the wrong way with his sexism, but he grew on me as their part of the story progressed. Unfortunately Alyssa is concerned about what might happen to her career if word of their affair got out, so she immediately put the kibosh on it before it really had much of a chance to get started. I honestly thought that they were going to get their story in the next book of the series, so I was a little disappointed that it won’t happen until the sixth book, Gone Too Far. Instead, the hero of the next book, Over the Edge, is Troubleshooter, Stan Wolchonok, which surprised me a little, because he wasn’t really a standout character for me. Other supporting characters who get their own books in the series include, Troubleshooters “Wildcard” Karmody (Out of Control), which I’m looking forward to, Mike Muldoon (Into the Night), and “Jenk” Jenkins (Into the Storm), as well as head of the FBI couterterrorism unit Max Bhagat (Breaking Point) and Alyssa’s FBI partner, Jules (All Through the Night).
After seeing rave reviews for the Troubleshooters, I read the first book over a decade ago, expecting to discover my next favorite series. Unfortunately that book was merely okay for me, so it’s taken me a very long time to get around to trying another one. I’m so glad I did, though, because The Defiant Hero turned out to be a great read, so much better than the first one. Overall, Meg and John were wonderful characters. Their romance is a slow-burn that started a few years earlier and even in the present it takes a little while to heat up again. Once it does, it’s a nice combination of sweet and passionate. The suspense plot is extremely well-done. It maintains a nice, steady pace and there are intense parts that kept me on the edge of my seat. I also really enjoyed both of the two subplots this time, something I couldn’t say about the first book. Suzanne Brockmann seems to have a thing for WWII stories, but this time Eve’s was much more engaging and romantic. Sam and Alyssa start out arguing incessantly, which isn’t my favorite way to begin a relationship, but I could tell that part of the issue was them simply trying to fight their attraction to one another. Once they give in to it, they’re fire together, and since things don’t exactly end on a positive note for them, it leaves me eager to read more about them. I hope that they’ll at least be interacting as supporting characters in the next few books, because otherwise it will be a long wait. There were maybe a few small things about the book that weren’t absolutely perfect for me, but the strong conclusion helped to wipe away any earlier misgivings. So this is one of those rare times that giving an author a second chance to wow me really paid off. I’m now looking forward to continuing the series soon.
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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
Meg is a translator for a European embassy. Her daughter and grandmother get kidnapped by an "Extremist" group. Meg's love interest is Navy SEAL Lieutenant John. He's called in by the FBI to help Meg. She specifically asks for him. Alyssa and Sam are the second couple - Alyssa is FBI and Sam is
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Navy SEAL - both involved with getting Meg because she has become a kidnapper herself. The third couple is Meg's grandmother and her past. She reminisces about her first husband while being held captive by the "Extremists." Got all that? In between the macho FBI/kidnapping violence there is a good amount of romance novel sex - the pantie ripping, throbbing kind. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lauren2013
The Defiant Hero
2 Stars
Unfortunately, this is not a good follow-up to Brockmann's first Troubleshooters book mainly due to the fact that John "Nils" Nilsson and Meg Moore are not an appealing couple. The constant reminder of the age difference between them becomes increasingly annoying and detracts
Moreover, the suspense plot is completely contrived. In real life, the terrorists would have killed Meg's family the second she took hostages.
The only saving grace in the book is the developing love/hate relationship between FBI agent Alyssa Locke and Navy SEAL Roger "Sam"Starrett. Their snarky bickering is well-written and their chemistry is explosive. It will be worth reading the next one to see where Brockmann takes these two characters.
2 Stars
Unfortunately, this is not a good follow-up to Brockmann's first Troubleshooters book mainly due to the fact that John "Nils" Nilsson and Meg Moore are not an appealing couple. The constant reminder of the age difference between them becomes increasingly annoying and detracts
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from their romance.Moreover, the suspense plot is completely contrived. In real life, the terrorists would have killed Meg's family the second she took hostages.
The only saving grace in the book is the developing love/hate relationship between FBI agent Alyssa Locke and Navy SEAL Roger "Sam"Starrett. Their snarky bickering is well-written and their chemistry is explosive. It will be worth reading the next one to see where Brockmann takes these two characters.
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Awards
AAR Top 100 Romances (84 — Most Recent Rank - 2004)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2001
Physical description
416 p.; 6.84 inches
ISBN
0804119538 / 9780804119535
Local notes
Publisher's Summary
There are eight words Meg Moore has never been able to forget: The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists. But what was merely a chilling warning when she worked as a translator in a European embassy now spells out a potential death sentence for her daughter and grandmother, who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists.
Meg has to act - and quickly. Going against everything she was taught, she will now do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything - even kill - to save her child.
When John Nilsson, a Navy SEAL lieutenant, junior grade, is summoned to Washington, D.C., by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn't seen her in years, but he's never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't..
There are eight words Meg Moore has never been able to forget: The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists. But what was merely a chilling warning when she worked as a translator in a European embassy now spells out a potential death sentence for her daughter and grandmother, who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists.
Meg has to act - and quickly. Going against everything she was taught, she will now do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything - even kill - to save her child.
When John Nilsson, a Navy SEAL lieutenant, junior grade, is summoned to Washington, D.C., by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn't seen her in years, but he's never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't..