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Monica McCarty is known for her fantastic and well-written Scottish Historicals. This seems like it would be quite shift from Highlanders...except it’s not.



Her Highlanders were strong, honorable, and noble. They wanted to protect their people, and they loved their women with everything they had in them. Her SEALs are no different.



When a mission goes south, the survivors go into hiding.



Annie Henderson has just gotten her doctorate in Marine Ecology, and her new boyfriend has convinced her to go protest offshore drilling in Scotland. She is caught up in both the excitement of actually doing something instead of just writing papers about the long-term results of oil spills, and the idea of an adventure. But once they get to Scotland, she starts to realize how little she knows about her “boyfriend.”



Dean is keeping a low profile and waiting on orders. After their last mission, where he lost half his team, he’s been ordered to hang tight and observe. He’s captaining charter boats in the area as “Dan” when Annie and her new friends are supposed to take his boat to an oil rig.



He knows this isn’t what it seems and bets that they’re eco-terrorists rather than peaceful protesters. It’s a shame Annie doesn’t know.



This is all still the first few chapters. Once Annie realizes that she’s in way over her head, she runs to Dean to let him know what’s going on. He nopes out of there so fast she’s left standing on the deck wondering what he’s doing. Hey, the man’s got orders, and those orders don’t involve rescuing naive women from themselves.



But when one of the group she’s with figures out what happened, he pulls Annie to him with a gun to her head. Dean can’t just let her die. This is where I feel the book really hits its stride. I wanna say it’s still just the first couple of chapters.



Dean and Annie go on the run, and it’s exciting, action-packed, sexy, and emotional. I do think this book has First Book in the Series Syndrome (FBITSS) which is unusual since you usually see that in UF and PNR series. But that’s the thing, this book/series is so well-researched, that the beginning feels like a SEAL action/thriller, and then the romance begins.  



By the third chapter or so, this book hits its stride. I couldn’t put it down! I think the beginning bogs it down a bit. It’s a very well researched book, and I loved that! But it can be a lot of info to take in right off the bat. Pay attention to the prologue. That’s what sets up the series.



This book has an ending that is left open for the series, but not a cliffhanger ending. It’s more along the lines that the immediate danger surrounding Annie and Dean is resolved, and they get their HFN ending, BUT the main problem of who sold out his platoon is still hanging over their heads, and I’m assuming it’ll take all the guys working together again for this to be solved.



In true Monica McCarty fashion, this book has that band of brothers vibe we loved in her Highland Guard series, it has intense action, a missing platoon that had to go off-grid scattered around the world, and romance. You believe in Annie and Dean, and you want them to be together. With her brand of action and romance brought into the current century, you know this book will be amazing. And the cheeky ending left me with a smile on my face.

***ARC courtesy of Berkley

Perfect for fans of Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters Inc and Tall, Dark and Dangerous books or Maya Banks KGI series books and featuring a strong, sassy, liberal, bleeding heart, idealist of a woman and a conservative, right winged, Texan alpha man. 
Going Dark, the first in The Lost Platoon series, is a book that has everything I love in a great romantic suspense read. 
You'll laugh, swoon and cry as you go on this thrilling adventure with characters whose banter will have you grinning when your hearts not racing from the adrenaline rush of reading the captivating tale. 
Thank you to Netgalley for generously providing me with an arc of this delightful book. I look forward to reading more books in this action packed series

Very suspenseful story of military covert operations, mixed in with action, subterfuge, and oo-la-la steamy romantic scenes. At times the author lost me with all the details about guns, scuba equipment, and other military-related items that I am unfamiliar with. Did look up some things but having to stop made me lose momentum. Read practically every one of Monica McCarthy's books and looked forward to reading this one.

GOING DARK is both my first Monica McCarty book (I haven’t read a historical romance in over a decade) and her first foray into romantic suspense… and it will probably be my last. I nearly DNFed this book every day whilst reading it, but kept going because (1) I love Scotland and revisiting it was nice, and (2) I didn’t have more pressing books on my ARC review queue. Heroine Annie is the embodiment of TSTL, hero Dean is a complete wanker whose only saving grace is that he’s hot, the villain(s)’s motivations are not sufficiently fleshed out to be believable, thereby making what little plot there is feel like an unoriginal afterthought, and the editing… my God, the editing. I get that this is an ARC and that (hopefully) the bulk of the errors will be corrected prior to printing, but whoever’s in charge of early editing at Berkley’s romance division really needs to step up their game. Needless to say, I was not impressed.

**ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I love Monica McCarty I have read and reread all of her books. So I was very excited about her having a new series out. The story was so convoluted I couldn't keep everyone straight on what was going on. Very disappointed did not like the hero  and heroine at all.

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

Before I go into full gush mode, I’d like to quickly explain to my readers why it is such a miracle that Going Dark received a 5 star rating from me. For those of you who aren’t aware, I am a Houston girl through and through. When you’re raised in Houston, you’re taught to despise the Dallas Cowgirls [I honestly meant to write Cowboys, was re-reading before posting and caught this slip, leaving it in because it proves my point]. I can’t quite explain the hatred, it is just an ingrained thing that you’re raised with in this city. If you’re from Houston, are a Cowboys fan, and are reading this review, SHAME. I’m looking at you Ryan.

Now, you may be asking yourself, how is this relevant to the story, Erin? Well, one of the main characters is a Dallas Cowboys fan….and I still rated Going Dark 5 stars. THAT is how much I loved it. It was hard, and Houstonians may judge me for it, but damn, this was a good book.

Monica McCarty is an Author known for her incredible Historical Romance novels, the Highland Guard series in particular. Because of this, I was surprised to hear that she would be writing an entire series set in the present. My favorite thing about the Highland Guard series was the “Band of Brothers” feel it had. I loved the banter between the characters, the genuine love there, and of course the thrill that came from knowing the male lead in each book was a total badass. I’m happy to report that McCarty has kept all of these things alive in her new Lost Platoon Series.

Not only was the group dynamic of the Platoon fun to explore, McCarty managed to bring her readers yet another strong female lead. Annie was a fantastic narrator and I loved all of the things she fought for. Most of all, I loved that she refused to back down when questioned, and never gave up on her ideals.

The romance between Dan and Annie was explosive, passionate and sweet – all things I have come to expect from McCarty’s books. I couldn’t get enough of the two of them together.

True to form, McCarty also managed to pack the book full of action and adventure, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The premise of the series shows great promise and I can’t wait to find out where McCarty plans to take her readers with it.

My Takeaway: Going Dark was a one sitting finish for me, as are almost all of Monica McCarty’s books. I honesty can’t say enough good things about this book, and have high hopes for the Lost Platoon series as a whole. Next book please!!!!

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.