Another good book in the Troubleshooter's series. This is Peter and Shayla's story. Peter's daughter runs away, is kidnapped and Peter and Shayla fall in love. This is a "feel good" story. I enjoyed reading this book very much.

It’s a good day when a hot Navy SEAL moves in across the street. Shayla Whitman has moved to San Diego so her sons can be closer to their dad and she doesn’t need complications in her life, but she can appreciate the view.

Lt. Peter Greene has moved into the neighborhood to give his daughter the kind of life he thinks she should like. She doesn’t. Her mother has died; her virtually unknown biological dad is suddenly in charge, and Maddie Nakamura is one sullen, unhappy teen.

After school one day, Shayla is flagged down by said SEAL whose daughter is missing. She’s been unaccounted for for over 36 hours and he thinks he saw Maddie get into a car. The two take off to catch up with her.

Maddie has fallen in with a bad crowd, specifically a rich, drug dealing bad a—named Fiona. Fiona was pulled out of San Diego by her family, but left the tale that Maddie took her drug money owed to some major bad guys. Finding Maddie before the drug lord does is a thrill ride with lots of suspense.

Suzanne Brockmann has given us another wonderful installment in the Troubleshooters series. Her characters are well-developed, convincing, and likable. Maddie is justifiably confused and frightened. She learns more about her family as she runs. We learn Shay’s, Peter’s and Maddie’s backstories as the novel unfolds.

Many of our old SEAL Team friends appear in Some Kind of Hero – primarily Izzy Zanella and a bunch of new BUD/S trainees. Harry Parker, fictional FBI agent, offers frequent commentary inside Shay’s head, and she only rarely answers him out loud. Funny, suspenseful, entertaining, and highly recommended.

Readalikes/Similar Authors:
Novels by J.D. Robb, Elizabeth Lowell, Sandra Brown, Tami Hoag, Linda Howard, Matthew Reilly, Lisa Jackson, and M.L. Buchman.
Pace: Fast
Characters: Well-developed, likeable, complex, diverse
Story: Character-driven
Language: engaging, witty
Tone: Upbeat, suspenseful
Frame: San Diego; Contemporary

Lieutenant Peter Greene works as an instructor at BUD/S, he trains the toughest to become Navy SEALS among worlds' most flexible and adaptable fighters. So when his 15 year old daughter moves in with him, he adapts. But when she runs away... he knows that he will need to call in all the support and teammates he can muster. Shayla Whitman, romance author and mother of 2 teenage boys, sees her new neighbor at the side of the road, trying to flag down a car. He's gorgeous but when she learns that his daughter is missing she jumps right into help.

Why I started this book: I leapt at the chance to read this book early when it was offered on Netgalley. Brockmann is one of my favorite authors.

Why I finished it: Brockmann once again delivers a satisfying romance with unconventional lead characters... grown-ups acting like grown-ups. Responsible parents struggling to do the best that they can, while falling in love. Least you think that this is boring there are drug dealers, an earthquake and lots of kissing. Great addition to the Troubleshooters series. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't read this series start with [book:The Unsung Hero|154016].

First, a disclaimer. I am a fan of Suzanne Brockmann's work. I've read just about everything she's written. What I haven't read, I'm working on getting those read.

Now the review....I was so excited to see another book in the Troubleshooters world! I was excited to get to visit with some of my favorite characters from that world. That being said, this is the story of Peter and Shayla. Everyone else is just extra. Peter is a Navy SEAL trainer. He is known as a tough teacher. When his ex dies suddenly, he becomes a single father of a 15 year old girl. He hasn't had a relationship with her as she's grown up so he really knows nothing about her. Peter is depicted as a decent, smart and caring man. He's the kind of guy everyone would want to be friends with. In fact, he has tons of friends he just doesn't realize it. Shayla is a divorced mother of two boys. She has moved across the country so her boy can live close to her ex-husband. She's a successful romance author who's having a writing slump. She's a smart, funny and honest woman. She and Peter and a really good match. There is even a little history of how Japanese-Americans were treated during WWII. I ended up looking up more information after I finished reading this story. It's a very sad chapter in American history.

I guess I should mention that there is a drug dealer in the story. And Peter's daughter, Maddie, has a reason to be scared and run away. And her "friend", Dingo, is an interesting character. I'm assuming he's going to come back in a future installment.

Yes, this is an insta-love story. I usually hate insta-love stories. That said, I really enjoyed this one. At one point I thought the characters might break the fourth wall and "talk" to the readers because they were both aware that they were in a strange and book worthy situation. I have puzzled over why I accept this insta-love story when I've hated so many. I think the bottom line is that the author has created a happy, well-balanced couple that are aware that they are falling in love way too fast and under ridiculous circumstances. Whether they will stay together forever or not doesn't matter so much to me as will they be happy at the end of the story.

If you want to read a fast paced, fun, slightly ridiculous love story, then this is the book for you.. If you hate relentlessly happy stories, you should skip this book..

Quotes:
"Those color look great on you," he tried. "And...I mean, you have...really...nice arms." What? Had he really just said that? Out loud? Nice arms....? loc 1553

There was no way that was true for anyone but a family of color--or maybe a white sailor from the Naval Base, who was in an interracial relationship. loc 2314

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley

Romance author and divorced mother of 2 teen boys, Shayla Whitman has had writer's block for two years, so when she sees are new sexy SEAL neighbor on the side of the road signaling for help, she stops her car, lets him in and begins the biggest adventure she has every had. Lieutenant Peter Greene is looking for his teenage daughter, Maddie, who has disappeared. Maddie's mother had refused to marry Peter when then were both too young to be parents and had taken off with their baby, moving from one parter to the next, but at that time Peter had thought it was the best for Maddie, to let them go. When Lisa suddenly dies, Maddie is sent to live with her father, hence the new house. As a new student , who is lost and depressed, she falls in with the wrong crowd and is suddenly being chased by a drug dealer's goons, when her "friend", Fiona, who owes the dealer money, tells him that she gave it to Maddie before she left town. Not knowing her father, and believing her mother's tales that he didn't care about her, she takes off with Fiona's "ex" the two of them trying to figure out how to stay alive. With Shayla's skill set as a mother and with the imagination of a writer, they search for Maddie and of course, since this is a romance, move from friends, to lovers.

I received an ARC from netgalley.com to review before release. This is the first book that I have read from this author, which put me at a slight disadvantage since I was not already familiar with the series and peripheral characters, but enough backstory was added to make this not a problem. I found this a very well written, exciting, but also humorous book and will add the previous 16 books to my "to read" list.

Really, Suzanne Brockmann can do no wrong. I always love her writing; she's one of my very favorites in this genre, and maybe this wasn't my favorite adventure, but it was still a very enjoyable read. Great characters, fun dialogue, and a whole lot of action equals an excellent book. This is always the case with Suzanne's books--no exception here. Can't wait for the next one!

I haven’t read many of Suzanne Brockmann’s books. I remember reading Hero Under Cover and loving it. I never reread it because romantic suspense isn’t really a genre you like to read again and again, especially if it’s a mystery. This was waaaaay back in the 90’s so, it’s safe to say that I had really no idea about her writing style except for a faint memory when I requested an ARC of this book. And I went into this blind, not really knowing what to expect (except for the blurb which sounded delicious). Now that I’ve finished the book, I’d have to say it was an unexpected, excellent read that I might like to read again because the dialogue was just. THAT. GOOD.

The story starts off with Shayla seeing her new neighbor Pete trying to flag down any car by the side of the road near the community’s high school. She then proceeds to stop her car to check what he needs. While this is extremely dangerous in real life, it didn’t seem to much of a TSTL move for our intrepid heroine because she knew he was a Navy Seal with a teenage daughter. They haven’t officially met yet but she knows of him and their kids go to the same high school (though it is a pretty big one). So, she stops and he tells her he’s not dangerous, he’s a Navy Seal, yada, yada, yada. He just needs someone to help him follow a car that his teenage runaway daughter just got into. Yes, we officially start the story with the daughter already in the wind for thirty-six hours. And Shayla, being a mom, is immediately along for the ride.

I must say, being a mother myself, that I would have had the exact same reaction as Shayla had when the word “daughter” (or son) is paired up with “missing.” Even if it’s coming from a stranger. Because this is a parent’s worst nightmare. This is my worst nightmare. And since Suzanne Brockmann started off the book with this, there was no question that I was immediately hooked. There was no initial introduction to Maddie (the daughter) as an angsty teenager or a quick preview into her relationship with her dad before she goes missing. You’re not allowed to judge who she is as a person. You’re not given a chance to like or dislike her personality. You’re just shown that a teenage girl is missing and she needs to be found, safe and sound, right effing now. And that is really what matters. Whether the girl is sweet or a brat of epic proportions, when a child goes missing, you act and you invest your emotions in finding them. And I loved that this was how it was done because reading the next few chapters, we get to see how Maddie has been uncooperative, sullen, angry at the world, especially at her dad. I understand that her mother just died and she knows nothing of her father whom she believes abandoned them. We, on the other hand, get to see just how much Pete loves his daughter and is trying to be the dad that she deserves. So, while I did get a bit annoyed at Maddie for not running to her dad for help and being all antagonistic to him, it never made me think too badly of her because I was already invested in her as someone’s daughter who needed to be found.

But what really made the story for me was Shayla and Dingo. Yes, you read it right. There was a character named Dingo. Before we go to that, let’s talk about Shayla. She is the mother that I want to be. Strong on the outside despite the numerous fears on the inside. She’s funny, smart, loving, compassionate, and strict. She’s close to her kids and friends with her ex-husband (even if he cheated on her) because she wants her kids to be happy. She is Mom. She’s also a romantic suspense author who uses her creative thinking skills to help Pete figure out where to look next, who to talk to, and plan for different possible scenarios. I love her mind. I don’t think I’m adequately describing how great she is. She’s no Mary Sue because she has her flaws like talking to herself a lot and hearing the voice of one of her main characters in her head. She always shushes him (the voice) out loud which can get annoying. But did I mention she was funny?

“One of my characters had really bad migraines,” she told him, “but I don’t get ‘em, I’m lucky right? Anyway, I went onto one of those medical symptom-checker websites to do a little research… one of the things on their general symptoms list was Can you taste words? And ever since then, I’ve used that as a personal benchmark. How’m I doing? Great, because you know what? Things might be bad, but I’m still not tasting words.”

Like I said, I loved the dialogue. They had really good banter but it was more than that. When they talked to each other, whether it was about themselves or about how to find Maddie, they just clicked. They knew what the other was thinking (most of the time) and they just fit together so well. Gah, I can’t explain it very well either. You need to read it to experience it. Just trust me, they were perfect for each other.

To say I was happy to be back in the world of the Troubleshooters is an understatement. Even though I don’t remember being introduced to Peter Greene in previous books, it doesn’t matter. He was memorable enough in this one, and there are enough visits from previous heroes and heroines that I felt right at home. Suzanne Brockmann is a master of romantic suspense, and when you throw in a military hero, she’s that much better. Some Kind of Hero would be fine as a stand-alone, but you will get more out of it having read the previous books in the series.
There aren’t too many men who would adapt perfectly to sudden single parenthood. When you’re talking about a never-been-married navy SEAL, perfectly is not even remotely the word to use! Lieutenant Peter Greene knows how to handle just about any situation...except fatherhood. He has had a long-distance, practically nonexistent relationship with his daughter Maddie since he and her mom split up years ago. When his ex dies and Maddie comes to live with him, he is immediately in over his head. He has no clue how to relate to a fifteen year old girl, especially one who openly resents him and is drowning in grief over losing her mother.
Shayla Whitman has seen her hunky neighbor plenty of times since he and his daughter moved in, but she hasn’t had the chance to introduce herself. She gets to do that and a whole lot more when Peter flags her down one day, desperately needing a ride. Peter has never met Shayla and has no idea she is his neighbor, but she doesn’t escape his notice for long. Even in the midst of a parental crisis, everything male in him wakes up and pays attention to the beautiful woman willing to drop everything to help him.
The fact that Shayla is a romance novelist is ironic: she does not have a good track record with her own love life. After a failed marriage, she is content to raise her two teenage sons and focus on the love stories in her head. When sparks fly between her and Peter, she is game to explore the attraction but doesn’t expect anything to come of it. Peter is… well…. Peter. A sexy, strong, gorgeous navy SEAL who could have any woman he wanted. She is just average, and older than him to boot.
This book was a little different from most romances in that when trouble came calling, it wasn’t because of either of the two main characters. Peter and Shayla were thrown together in the middle of his trying to locate his runaway daughter. The more leads they explored, the more they learned how deep Maddie’s problems ran. With Peter’s connections and Shayla’s brilliant writer’s mind, they slowly began to piece together the complicated, dangerous situation that Maddie found herself in.
Some Kind of Hero is typical Suzanne Brockmann in that nothing about it is typical. Peter was the type of alpha hero that many authors don’t write about. He’s strong and powerful and protective, but he’s not a jerk. He’s smart and polite and thoughtful, and he appreciates Shayla’s mind as much as her sexy body. Shayla was so normal she was easy to relate to. She was fearful of giving her heart to Peter, but willing to indulge in some sexy time with him. The timing of their romance was extremely quick, but believable. Even though his life was turned upside down and Peter and Shay spent most of the book searching for Maddie, I thought their romance was thrown into the mix perfectly.
I give Some Kind of Hero 5 stars.

I've been eagerly looking forward to this book since it was announced a few months ago and recently reread most of the series (Yes, that's a lot of books). Then I saw that it was available on NetGalley and thought "Ooooh, I have NetGalley account!" So I got a new password (It's been a while) and requested and TA-DA!

ANYWAY.

I really enjoyed it. Like some of the other books in the series, the hero and heroine get along almost too well right from the start. They're both convinced the other one isn't going to want a long-term relationship, but everything they reveal about themselves says that they're both eager for a long-term relationship. So the conflict between them could have been stronger, but, you know: when it's right, it's right.

That was balanced by so much outside conflict with "Grunge's" daughter being chased by a drug lord because her one friend in her new school (while she's living with the dad she's never met) told the drug lord that Maddie had the $10,000. And poor, messed-up "Dingo" trying to save her and trying to be noble and not fall for a fifteen-year-old (I have more opinions about this, because setting up a relationship between a 20-year-old and a 15-year-old is NOT COOL, but am glad Dingo turned out to be a good guy, even though he was a major f***-up in every other way).

Most of all, this was a book for authors, though.

No, really.

The heroine is an author. A successful author of romantic suspense novels with a gay FBI character who talks in her head. SOOOO. Oh, and she's been unable to write for the last couple years due to writer's block, probably because of all the other stuff going on in her life. If you follow Brockmann online at all, you'll know that she's had about a thousand other things going on over the last couple years, but it's also been a while since her last novel came out.

All the thoughts and statements about life and character and writing and so on rang true for me as an author, which is what helped bumped my rating up to a five, because I almost gave it 4 stars because it felt like there were threads that just meandered off and were never tied off. Others were tied up a bit too tidily.

Other things that bumped my rating up:
I read it as fast as I could, staying up too late the first night and sneaking pages over breakfast and lunch and while waiting for kids to get out of school.
My opinion went up once I thought of this as instead of Peter and Shayla wooing each other (though they did), they had to woo Maddie (as well as physically save her). Shayla was a little too good at being a mom and never seemed to goof up with her kids or even with Maddie.

Overall, a great read, especially for fans of the Troubleshooters (Hooray! Izzy! Boat Squad John!) and for authors.

I have never thought Ms Brockmann's books needed any introduction. I have been waiting years for a new Troubleshooters book. This series is so incredibly awesome. I think I started reading her sometime around 2002. In fifteen years, I have never been disappointed by a Brockmann book, and that still stands true.

Peter Greene is an instructor at the Navy Seal.. academy? School? He unexpectedly gains custody of his daughter Maddie when her mother dies. He tries his best, which maybe is not his best, but Maddie doesn't seem to be acclimating to her new life or new school and one day she disappears.

Shayla Whitman is driving along one day and out in the street pops a seriously hot guy. He flags her down and begs her to follow a car that he is positive he saw his missing daughter in. Although probably meant to be more serious, Shayle and Peter's journey to find Maddy has major ups and downs and plenty of humor. Shayla writes romance novels and her main character speaks occasionally in her head.

What they don't know is that Maddie's supposed friend has gotten her in a heap of trouble and she and her little friend Dingo are trying to solve it without dying or involving anyone else.

I shouldn't have to say, "Hey, you need to read this!" because, well, its Suzanne Brockmann.. we should all know by now! Anyways, I think there was just enough humor in this book to keep me from getting too worried about Maddie and her situation. It was really hilarious when Shayla's character talked to her, especially regarding the hot Seal next to her. Wowsa! So, obviously, I really enjoyed this book, so as soon as it is released, everyone run to the store!

If you have read any of Mrs. Brockmann's other Troubleshooter titles, then you will recognize several of the supporting cast of Some Kind of Hero. I loved the character of Shayla, her humor and bravery were a thing of beauty to read. I really enjoyed reading Peter. I have to say that this title reminded me so much of The Unsung Hero. I think what struck me as familiar were the young adult characters that populated this story. I really enjoy Mrs. Brockmann’s writing and always look forward to her books. I have already booktalked this one to several of our patron’s and they are eagerly awaiting the release of this book.

Old friends, new loves and excellent writing makes this a great reading experience.

When Navy SEAL instructor Lt. Peter Greene moves into a bungalow across the street from romance writer Shayla Whitmore they discover they have more in common than teenagers. Shayla's experience raising 17 & 14 yr old boys helps Pete cope with being a new dad to his 15 yr old daughter who is grieving the death of her mom and making bad choices in new friends.

When Shayla joins forces with Pete to track down Maddie she uses her writing skills to produce a love story for Maddie based on her parents younger selves.

The injustice of the internment of Americans of Japanese descent during WW2, expressed through Hiroko who lived in the camp at Manzanar, is eye opening.

A quick moving plot, wonderful characters, old friends from previous Troubleshooter books and humor mixed with romance and action movie scenes - a winning combination for readers.

I’ve been reading Ms. Brockmann’s books for many years with some of the earlier ones with Blue, Cowboy, Frisco, and Harvard in the Tall, Dark, and Dangerous, etc. type books. Then when she started the Troubleshooters with The Unsung Hero and many more and I fell in love with her characters, the storylines, the action, romance, and dialogue. I miss some of the earlier characters such as Max, Tess, Nash, and Decker. Some of the other TS/FBI/Navy characters have continued in several books and I love Jules, Sam, Alyssa, Jenkins and others.

I love all of the characters but Izzy became my favorite and still holds that spot. So I was thrilled that he was a part of this story. I love his quirkiness, his bursting into song, his friendship, loyalty, and his love for Eden.

I’ve read almost every book of Ms. Brockmann’s but haven’t read the recent novellas so wasn’t very familiar with Peter ‘Grunge’ Greene.

I can’t say this is my most favorite book by Ms. Brockman as she’s had so many outstanding ones but any story by her is entertaining and a fun read.

Peter’s neighbor, Shayla is a romance writer and it was hilarious how one of her characters, Harry, ‘talks’ to her and she receives many odd looks when she responds out loud to Harry!

The more I read about Peter and his relationship with Lisa, his daughter Maddie’s mother, the more my heart broke for him. I won’t go into the many years after he and Lisa broke up till the present day as that is addressed in a very special and unique way, but his personal life was just drifting and not making personal connections.

Ms. Brockmann deftly writes characters that I love no matter if they are straight or gay, white, black, or interracial. She also adds some history to many of her stories and I always learn something new.

I enjoyed watching the developing relationship between Peter and Shayla while they each wonder how the other really feels. Ms. Brockmann can certainly write some passionate sexy times! The suspenseful portion of the story kept things hopping with Peter’s missing daughter, Maddie and each of their experiences trying to find her before the bad guys.

I loved seeing Izzy, Eden, Mark, Lindsey, Gilman, Jenn and their ongoing lives and changes. I was SO excited for Izzy at the end of the book. The ‘Boat Squad John’ was too funny with everyone named John and watching as they struggle through the Seal training.

Patrick Lawlor has narrated the majority of Ms. Brockmann’s Troubleshooter books and as soon as Izzy showed up in the story, I started ‘hearing’ his voice. He does an outstanding job on all of the characters so I can’t wait till this is out in audio.

Thanks to Ms. Brockmann and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I’ve been waiting a LONG time for another one of her stories.

I will preface my review by saying I absolutely love the Troubleshooters series. I've read pretty much every book in the series, minus one or two novellas. Suzanne Brockmann is simply one of my favorite authors; I was really excited to read this one.

So it pains me to write a review in which I really didn't enjoy a Brockmann book that much. I liked it, but I didn't love it like all the others. This book really just wasn't very memorable and it moved incredibly slow. I kept waiting for things to get really exciting and when things finally did pick up, it was just boring and over in a minute. There were no SEALs sweeping in to the rescue. The Troubleshooters team was also MIA in this book for the most part, which was disappointing since I love those guys (and ladies). The best parts of the book were those that involved Izzy, because who doesn't love him?

I love that Brockmann always includes some historical segments in her books, but the Manzanar pieces really didn't add much to the plot. It was a nice history lesson for those who may not have been aware of it, but that's about it.

The part that annoyed me the most was that every time Peter/Shayla got close to Maddie/Dingo, they were just a little too late. EVERY SINGLE TIME. This happened nearly every chapter it seems, so it just became expected and not at all exciting after a while.

So the story begins with Lieutenant Peter Greene stopping author Shayla Whitman in the middle of the road when he spots his 15 year old daughter getting into someone's car. Peter doesn't realize at the time that Shayla is his neighbor and she recognized him, else she probably wouldn't have stopped. His daughter has gone missing and he finally gets the break he needs. Shayla agrees to follow the car with Peter riding shotgun. They track them to a mall, but Maddie is nowhere to be seen. Peter & Shayla's journey to becoming a couple begins here, as well as their quest to find Maddie and bring her home.

The Maddie/Dingo storyline is actually more interesting in my opinion than Peter/Shayla a lot of times. Maddie is 15, Dingo is 20...yeah, big problem for Dingo there once he discovers her real age. Maddie's friend Fiona is psychotic it seems and owes a local drug gang leader $10K, but tells the guy that Maddie has the cash, while Fiona is sent out to a boarding school after trying to burn down her aunt's apartment. So the bad guys are now after Maddie and instead of turning to her 'just met him' Navy SEAL dad for help, she turns to Dingo for help instead. I just wanted to scream at her the entire book to finally just talk to her dad. I mean he knows what he's doing and can surely protect her. I still don't quite understand why she didn't want his help. Yes, he wasn't a part of her life until after her mom died, but he's still her dad and he has a lot of connections that would have been useful against people trying to find and hurt her.

I had respect for Dingo reaching out to Peter/Shayla behind Maddie's back though. He didn't have to, but he did the right thing when he saw that she was going to continue to be an immature stubborn 15 year old. He's still too old for her, but I have high hopes that things will work out for them in the future when she's of age.

The Peter/Shayla story was sweet, but at times the 'great communicators' that they were seemed to forget that they also needed to communicate their feelings. They made way too many assumptions about the other person's feelings. I'm use to seeing that in books, but again, it kept happening over and over again. I did love that Peter/Shayla did what it took to rescue Maddie. It was risky, but both of them wanted to protect her from harm and I respected their courage.

The epilogue was sweet, but predictable.

I just hope the next book in the series is better. I have a lot of respect for Suzanne Brockmann as a writer, but in this one just fell short this time.

Loved it! This is the second series I ever read and truly fell in love with these guys and their women. So when I saw this I immediately requested it. And just like the whole series, this book is five stars.

Peter "Grunge" Greene is the new neighborhood SEAL and has a daughter, Maddie, who lives with him. They've only been in the neighborhood for a little while and Shayla and her boys have yet to meet them. However, one night as Shayla is driving home she runs into (almost literally) Peter flagging her car down from the middle of the road. His daughter is missing and he's just seen her get into a car and is asking Shayla to chase the car.

From that moment on this book is fast paced and exciting. Maddie has run away from home and they are trailing her trying to find her.

Shayla is a romantic suspense writer and one of her characters continually talks to her in her head so when she says "shhh" repetitively Peter sort of figures that out. She has two sons and understands how missing can circumvent normal introductions.

As the two of them and their friends and family get involved they develop a friendship that turns into a relationship but Shayla isn't sure she's ready yet. Plus as Maddie and her father are getting to know one another since her mother died he isn't sure what's going to happen with him.

Read to find out if they find Maddie, if their relationship is a temporary or a permanent thing and whether or not Peter and Maddie will be moving.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After a bit of a slow start, this book really took off, things started falling into place, and I ended up really enjoying it!

It's been a while since I read a Brockmann book (she hasn't been so prolific lately) and I jumped at the chance to read another book in what once was my favorite RS series (Troubleshooters). While it wasn't the best Troubleshooters book ever, it was a solid read and one that got better and better as I got deeper into the book.

The whole story centers around the hunt for Lt. Peter ('Grunge') Greene's runaway 15-yer-old daughter (the kind of obnoxious Maddie). Maddie's in trouble because her so-called female 'friend' framed her and now she has an evil drug dealer mad at her and out for the $10,000 she supposedly stole. If she doesn't pay him he will most likely kill her. She takes off with a friend of this friend (older semi-stoner 'Dingo', who is unaware that she's just 15) rather than just asking her father for help. (Hey, she's a stupid teenager). So why doesn't she trust her dad to get her out of this mess, you ask?

Well, Maddie and Peter hardly know each other. He wasn't with her mom (who recently died a few months ago) for that long. Her mom (Asian-American Lisa) was a flighty woman who strung Peter along since high school. When Peter tried to provide for his family by enlisting in the Navy, Lisa couldn't take it so she left him and took their baby daughter with her, often moving from town to town. When Peter became a SEAL, he had less and less time to spend with Maddie, and they grew apart. Now with Lisa dead, the only real family left in her life is Peter. They hardly know each other, but Peter wants to change that and make an effort with Maddie. He moves them to a family friendly neighborhood in San Diego, but Maddie is stand-offish, surly, and grieving. She's not a bad kid but gets in with the wrong crowd, and now finds her life in danger. Deep down she doesn't believe that her father wants her or loves her. Can Peter's across-the-street neighbor, romance novelist Shayla Whitman, help change that perception?

Pretty, 40ish African-American Shayla Whitman, recent divorcee, and mother of two teenage boys, has noticed the hunky shaggy-haired Navy SEAL who recently moved in across the street. When she sees him trying to flag down a motorist for help outside the high school, she makes a quick decision to help him. Peter tells her to 'follow that car' that he's sure his teenage daughter got in to, and the chase is on. Over a matter of days, Shay helps Peter to try to locate his daughter, find out why she's on the run, and get father and daughter to learn about one another (through a series of clever texts detailing the relationship of Lisa and Peter). Along the way, the initial spark of attraction between Peter and Shay (who waste a lot of time assuming stuff about each other) ignites into a white hot fire--but is it just lust, or something more? Can something be right after only a few days together?

I have to be honest, what made this book come alive was when Izzy Zanella (good buddy to Peter) first appeared! Yay! And then a very pregnant Lindsey, Mark, Adam, Eden, Jen, Gilman, Lopez...they were all either mentioned or had a hand in helping Peter. I also enjoyed seeing some new SEAL recruits--all named 'John' but of course they all had nicknames...Hopefully Suz will continue with these characters and give them each their own books.

I really liked to Shay as a character. Wow, this woman was smart! I also enjoyed her inner dialogue with herself, and also her dialogue with one of her fictional heroes (a knockoff of gay FBI character Jules Cassidy). And...she had some pretty hot sex scenes with Peter. How they managed that while looking for his daughter? You'll just have to read it to find out.:)

Peter was pretty cool too. Once he told his story to Shay about his relationship with Lisa and I learned more and more about him, I could see that he wasn't just a handsome guy, but an honorable guy with real substance. I wanted these two to work!

So once things got moving in this book, it became hard to put down. I usually like Brockmann's writing because I always feel I learn something new when I read her books. And I did learn something about the Japanese internment camps in California during World War II. I only had limited knowledge of that time and SB managed to really open my eyes to something that was so, so wrong. And she expertly wove this into the story too without it seeming preachy.

All in all a solid effort. If she continues with her new SEAL recruits (the 'Johns'), and even revisits Maddie and Dingo--he really grew on me, and now that he's (view spoiler) the possibilities seem endless--I think she'll have some winners on her hands. 4 1/2 stars

Shayla, romance author, sees her Navy SEAL neighbor waving his arms at the side of the road so she quickly stops. He has no idea who she is but asks her to help him find his 15-year-old teenaged daughter who he believes her to be in a car that is getting away. Sometimes life is stranger than fiction and Shayla immediately follows 'that' car.
Suzanne Brockmann uniquely combines a romance author with an alter ego and her teenaged boys with a Navy SEAL and his troubled daughter in a story riddled with action, suspense and of course, romance!

Suzanne Brockmann had done it again!

Return to the world of Troubleshooters and hot Navy SEALs. Lt. Peter Greene is suddenly responsible for Maddie, his angry 15 year old teenaged daughter, who has disappeared. When he flags down his neighbor, action-romance author, Shayla Whitman to "follow that car", this leads to the beginning of a fast-paced, action-packed adventure.

Based in California and not one the "-Stans", danger still lurks with psycho friends and double-crossed drug lords. We catch up with Izzy and Eden, Jenks and Lindsay, and other members of the SEALS. Ms. Brockmann also touches upon the injustice of the Japanese internment camps instituted in World War 2 and racial profiling.

Thrilling as only Suzanne Brockmann can.

I am a huge fan of Suzanne Brockman and being given this opportunity to read an advanced copy of her book was a wish come true. I have missed the teams ( the novellas have been great) and was looking forward to more...Grunge, Pete, was a mystery character in previous books, novellas, and seemed a little bit out of place with the surfer dud thing he had going on,, so now being able to understand his background I was able to better understand him and I went back and read other books where he appeared. Yes that is how much I love these books. Shayla was just so fun, and Harry a hoot. I really enjoyed the backstory with her writing and the blocks....very interesting and educational. The way they come together, work together and write together, OOOHHHH the letters to Maddie are beautiful. The way the author is able to make a character be so present without even being alive, and the way we get to know her just by these letters, unbelievable. I wish there were more. I love touching base with my trouble-shooters / Seal teams, I mean who does not want more Izzy in their life. . And then we have Dingo!!! Please tell me there will be more......his letter to Peter, well my heart expanded and then the epilogue, so many feels for this,,,,my heart melted...Hello!!!! OMG The only negative I have is when the characters make the wrong assumptions about what the other may want, let's talk it out sooner people!!! There was enough mystery and misunderstanding in the book without having to go there. This was a great great book and I can't recommend it enough.