Like most SEAL romantic suspense novels, the first chapter or so of Going Dark is a cram course in what it means to be a SEAL, their brutal training and the brotherhood that develops within the team. With that out of the way, I enjoyed the ensuing story. I willingly suspended my disbelief and went along for the ride. International political intrigue combined with adventure on the open sea with the hot boat captain kept me turning the pages. The plot was more involved than I expected going into it-- a nice surprise. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

This was my first Monica McCarthy contemporary and it did not disappoint. I've loved her historicals and was leery about switching to contemporary because I haven't had luck with that with past authors. But McCarthy's voice and writing shine through and I loved it. Hope she continues to write in both genres.

McCarty’s Lost Platoon series, which launches with Going Dark in September, has an interesting premise, and I’m looking forward seeing how the overarching mystery is resolved. I’ll bet she had a good time veering a totally different direction from her Scottish historicals.

SEAL Team Nine definitely faces extreme conditions in the Barents Sea off the coast of Norway, a hundred feet below the surface in a submarine, with limited communication and flying under the radar of the Russians. When the mission goes FUBAR, it’s hard to tell who survives and who’s responsible for the melee. I had a hard time connecting with Dr. Annie Henderson, an academic who followed a man she’s known and dated for two months to Scotland to join the protest against exploratory drilling in the Hebrides. For an educated woman, she lacks ALL self-preservation instincts. But I did like Senior Chief Dean Baylor. His quiet investigation into what befell his team while balancing the messy situation Annie carries in her wake is a reminder of how important it is for our nation to have strong, intelligent soldiers keeping us safe.

I ended up DNFing this story. I was into it and then the hero was killed off. I enjoyed the secondary hero but the heroine just drove me nuts and by 50% I just couldn't take it anymore. The writing was good, I just feel the heroine and I were not a match.

If you have read her historical novels do not be afraid to try this modern suspense novel. You will see the same level of character development and plot twists. Additionally, if you are not a fan of historical fiction but enjoy SEAL tales and suspense you are in for a treat.

In Going Dark, marine ecologist Annie has come to Scotland to join a protest against a new offshore drilling location. Her boyfriend is the one who recruited her to come and stage a sit-in on the rig, but once they get to Scotland she feels uneasy about his behavior and about his friends. When she discovers what the group is really plotting, she has to put her trust in Dan, the mysterious captain of their chartered boat. Soon, the two are running for their lives from the people Annie has made angry, but the situation threatens to expose Dan’s own secrets, with deadly consequences.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I liked the action, and I liked the the times when Dan and Annie were trying to plot out strategy. One thing this book does that I’ve not seen much before is attempt to address politics. Annie is an environmental protester and committed to things like civil disobedience. Dan is a conservative ex-SEAL who has little sympathy for protests or what he sees as liberal whining. There’s no overt discussion of politics per se, but the two do debate lots of current issues. It’s not like Dan and Annie spent the whole book arguing, but it was enough to be noticeable.

On the one hand, I kind of admired that McCarty even attempted to address political differences in a romance novel. Often, the people in romances have jobs that clearly relate to politics and current events, but that is almost never acknowledged. You don’t think SEALs would have strong opinions about current events given that they are involved in so many of them? To pretend otherwise seems silly. I guess I appreciated the effort! However, I also found the debates kind of annoying. While I think Annie was a bit more open to nuance in some things than Dan, overall I found both frustratingly stuck in their opinions. I ended up thinking less of both characters. I can see why authors just avoid these topics, because I was annoyed at both Dan and Annie so frequently, and politics was just one more difference I wasn’t convinced they could surmount.

Differences really were my main issue with the book, though. I was convinced that Dan and Annie were in lust, and I was convinced that they made a great pair when the chips were down. I was not, however, convinced that they would make a great pair when they were back to their real lives. As I already discussed, they had really different views politically, but more than that they wanted different things out of life. Even if Dan gets his tangled problems sorted out, is he really going to want to settle down? Would Annie be happy with a spouse who was frequently gone and, more importantly, not excited by any of the things she’s excited by? I just couldn’t see it working long term.

I didn't have a bad time reading this book, but neither was I captivated.

Grade: 3 out of 5

This is an intriguing enough story line,I liked the premise, liked the action and the whole exotic set-up, but found myself less than enthusiastic about the couple in question. Dean/Annie weren’t quite a couple that I could see together—their fiercely opposing ideals aside—as their skin-deep connection simply felt like an adrenaline-fuelled product that would burn bright and hot, but eventually burn out.
However, I found the female lead a bit of an annoyance.

I'm intrigued by the mystery surrounding Team 9! I can't wait to find out more in future titles. Annie being an accidental eco-terrorist was an interesting reason for her to be in Scotland. I was surprised the main character of the book was not the same point of view as the prologue. The only part that seemed odd was when Dean and Annie's boat sprung a leak and they hid out on an island - it felt like a contrived interlude for sex. Surprisingly, it wasn't.

The beginning of a new series. 'Going Dark' details the elite mission of a group of Navy SEALS on a failed mission in Russia. As a result, they immediately had to 'go dark' in an attempt to make those who jeopardized the mission think no one survived. The cool points immediately escalated from me for this book giving the reader a little education on what the SEALS are all about!

Dan/Dean the main character was interesting, smart, tough and swoon worthy. He certainly lived up to the unique set of skills a SEAL promises. The female protagonist, Annie, an eco-scientist or maybe it was an enviro-scientist, on the other hand, disappoints. She is built up to be this above average quick scientist who is determined to set the environment right. She somehow becomes part of this detailed plan to deter a huge oil drilling company in the North Sea from drilling. Unfortunately it appears to me she is in over her head, the entire book! It became confusing reconciling this smart scientist she was supposed to be against the naive damsel in distress she portrays, making frustrating, poor choices over and over and over again. I lose focus as to why she becomes so appealing, other than the emphasis on being super hot, and looking like a model in a bathing suit, oh and she can dive while looking super hot.

The suspense was carefully maintained. Albeit predictable. I think looking forward it will be interesting to watch the other members of The Lost Platoon reunite and interact as this series continues, that huge part of the plot is what peeked my interest and may have me coming back for more. 3 stars

Monica McCarty surprised me with Going Dark. I was anticipating a romance. Instead, I got a thriller with a heart throb as the hero. Most fun.

I’ve been a fan of Monica McCarty’s writing for many years, but I was a little apprehensive about reading this book. Switching from historicals to contemporary romantic suspense is a jump, one I wasn’t sure she could make. I shouldn’t have worried. Even though this book wasn’t perfect, it was good, and even better, it sets the scene for what I hope will be a long series!
Going Dark is appropriately titled as the story of the disappearance of SEAL Team Nine. When a mission in Russia is compromised and more than half of the team is killed, the remaining soldiers go off the grid to stay alive. One of the men’s new identities is Dan Warren, a boat captain working in Scotland. He chose that job and that particular location because a) being on or in the water is what he knows, and b) it gives him an opportunity to follow some leads to help figure out what the clusterf*** in Russia was all about. His anonymous lifestyle of flying under the radar is compromised when Annie Henderson shows up.
Annie is on a trip to Scotland to meet up with her French boyfriend to join a protest of offshore drilling in the Western Isles. Even though their romance is relatively new, Annie trusts Julien and loves that they share the same beliefs and passion for change. Her optimism about making a difference quickly wanes when she starts to sense that something is a little off. She soon discovers that there is more to their operation than a peaceful seaside protest, and when mayhem and murder appear out of nowhere, Annie is forced to rely on the mysterious boat captain for help.
The last thing Dan wants is to bring attention to himself, and getting involved in an international incident and being suspected of murder have done just that. There is something about Annie that draws him in, though, and he can’t leave her to fend for herself. What she’s involved in is bigger than either of them know, and Dan is determined to get to the bottom of it and keep her safe.
I liked the concept of this book/series, and I adored Dan. He was a typical surly, bossy, sexy SEAL hero, and his vulnerability where Annie is concerned was obvious. I wasn’t as taken by Annie as I wanted to be. A liberal feminist who is way too intelligent to be as naïve as she was, I couldn’t really relate to her. I did like how she gave as good as she got with Dan, in bed and out of it. I just wish I could have felt more emotion from her/them so I could believe their romance was more than just hot sex in a dangerous situation.
Going Dark is a good start to a military suspense series, and the author introduces us to many secondary characters who I think will play larger roles in upcoming books. I’m very curious to meet some of the other surviving SEALs and figure out what happened on that mission in Russia. Unfortunately, with seven survivors, I think it’s going to be a long wait! While I didn’t adore this book as much as I wanted to, it was a solid read and I will definitely be looking for the next one.
I give Going Dark 4 stars

I like the plot of this book, and the twists that it took. However, there were places that seemed to drag when they were on the run. It was interesting that the story started in Brian's viewpoint and then he was quickly killed off. It may have been easier to keep track of the people involved if the entire platoon was not introduce individually at the beginning of the novel. I can only assume this was done to benefit subsequent books in the series.

4.5 Stars!! Such a great book!! The Prologue was a bit...overly informative?, & tended to get a little tedious but after reading the Prologue & catching up, the book gets interesting!! It's a cross between romance, mystery, & suspense!! I did guess correctly on what was going to happen a few times but the book was so well written that I didn't really notice. This book had me wishing for a Dean of my own!! Such a strong, sexy, alpha-male!! Yes please!! I wish this book had more backstory on Deans life. It kind of hints at what his life was like before becoming a SEAL but I would've liked to have a bit more info. All in all, an entertaining read that kept me up late to finish reading! I couldn't put it down!! I definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves romance, military, alpha males, suspense, and mystery!! I can't wait for the other books in this series!!

Full review to be published online in late August.

As GOING DARK begins, Annie Henderson is a Marine ecologist who decides to join her boyfriend on a trip to Scotland to protest offshore drilling. She is a strongly against offshore drilling, and it's not long after arriving in Isle of Wight that she begins to notice something is not right with her boyfriend and his friends. This is confirmed when they rent a dive boat captained by a another man who makes Annie uncomfortable but for totally different reasons. Once out on the water Annie discovers that her boyfriend and his two friends are not planning a friendly protest but one far more deadly. She has to depend on the mysterious captain to save her life by getting them off the boat and trekking through a storm on a small craft along with being on the run once they hit land when they are accused of murder.

The plot thickens considerably throughout GOING DARK, both with the ecoterrorist plot and the side plots of the man who trained Seal Team 9 He wants answers about what happened to those 14 men, and a tenacious reporter who is the sister of one of the missing men also looking for answers; all while the ones who survived are trying to stay invisible. There is a great deal of plot and action going on throughout, keeping the reader turning the pages trying to soak up as much info as possible while wanting more.

GOING DARK is the first book in Monica McCarty's new "The Lost Platoon" RS series. This looks to be a great endeavor for the author, and I am looking forward to the next book in this exciting series.

I wasn't sure how well McCarty would be able to transition from historical romances to military/SEAL romance but the answer is almost flawlessly. There was a bit too much explanation of the squad/team/command structure which took me out of the story for a moment but then I was right back in. The respectful debate/flirty banter worked for me and the heat between Dean and Annie was amazing. McCarty struck just the right balance between action and romance and not only am I anticipating the next book in the series but I'll have to go check out her historical backlist, as well.

Monica McCarty knocked it out of the park with her first contemporary romantic suspense. Fourteen men make up Seal Team 9 who are sent in on a secret black ops mission in Russia. Only 6 walked away and had to go dark and pretend they are dead until they can figure out who betrayed them.

The author kept the reader in the dark on who survived that fatal mission for most of the book so in my review other than the heroine I am not going to name any names. Just know it was a thrilling suspense ride with the present day story of ecoterrorist that Annie Henderson finds herself embroiled in and the slow reveal of the fate of Seal Team 9.

Annie Henderson is a Marine ecologist who decides to join her boyfriend on a trip to the Isle of Lewis in Scotland to protest offshore drilling. She is a strongly against offshore drilling after seeing the after effects of a oil spill in Louisiana on the wildlife. Its not long after being in Scotland that she begins to see something is not right with her boyfriend and his friends and that is confirmed when they rent a dive boat captained by a another man who makes Annie uncomfortable but for totally different reasons. Once out on the water Annie discovers that her boyfriend and his two friends are not planning a friendly protest but one far more deadly. She has to depend on the mysterious captain to save her life by getting them off the boat and trekking through a storm on a small craft along with being on the run once they hit land when they are accused of murder.

There are lots of “and the plot thickens” moments through out this book. Both with the ecoterrorist plot and the side plots of the man who trained Seal Team 9 wanting answers about what happened to those 14 men, and a tenacious reporter who is the sister of one of the missing men also looking for answers all while the ones who survived are trying to stay invisible. There is just soo much going on your turning the pages soaking up as much info as you can and wanting more. This is going to be a kick-ass series and I cannot wait for the next installment..

I really liked this suspenseful book.

This series starting book had action, intrigue and pure sexiness all over the place. After a covert mission went FUBAR, Dean had gone dark, that's Navy SEAL talk for laying low while everyone else thinks that you're dead. The absolute last thing he needed was to get mixed up with a group of eco terrorists. Naturally, this bad boy SEAL doesn't exactly follow orders whenever he sees evil being done not to mention when it involves an innocent woman. Annie was a too nice for her own good girl who finally figured out that her smarmy boyfriend was up to no good. Luck was on her side because Dean happened to be a real life hero who jumped in just in time to save the day. It wasn't insta love for them, though. They had loads of personal baggage and huge secrets that lay between them.
I'm a big fan of Monica McCarty's writing style so I had to jump at the chance to read her new series. The rich character development and fast paced plot were amazing, as usual, and there were enough twists to keep me guessing right up until the end. I'm ready for the next book already.

An action packed SEAL adventure that portrays our elite warriors with the respect they deserve. This novel also educated me in the new medical breakthroughs in identifying PSTD, brain injuries, and the help that is now available to our veterans. My thoughts and prayers are with them.