Abduction

I feel that for me Ms Brockmann has lost her shine. This book felt very studied, very deliberately written. I finished it 3 days ago and cannot remember what it was about. Okay, just looked at the synopsis inside the front cover. There was a lack of character development which kept the relationship between the hero and the heroine from being more immediate. Maybe it was a deliberate choice but there wasn't much physical description of the characters. It took me until 2/3rds of the book to figure out for sure if the heroine was african american or latina. Just saying she had dark skin is no help. I'm not sure at all what Peter looked like other than he was built. I know that's not real important to a story but having a firm grasp on what your characters look like helps place them firmly in your mind. Also there wasn't a lot of conflict between the two of them which is really what makes a romance work in a memorable way. Actually my favorite character turned out to be stoner Dingo.

At least there wasn't a lot of preaching in this one which is a relief from the last few books by SB. The suspense part of it also was just sort of blah. If SB is intending to continue this series, I am wondering why she is not starting a story for another couple in the course of this book which is what worked so well in the early novels in the Troubleshooters series, watching a couple work towards their HEA through the course of several books so that you were totally invested by the time you got to their book.

Will I quit reading her? Probably not but I am hoping for more of that old zing in future books. ( )

I'll read anything written by Suzanne Brockmann ( )

4.5
Other than a minor quibble about a 15 yo traveling cross country with a 20 yo, which Brockmann manages to keep from crossing over the line and going down a road better not traveled, this is a very enjoyable story with a lot of humor and fun. I like Shayla and Pete, an unusual and great pairing.

Patrick Lawlor, who reads for nearly all the Troubleshooters series, is great as the character voice that lives in Shayla's head called Harry. He's a hoot. Also, narrator Bahni Turpin is a nice change of pace from Melanie Ewbank, who usually reads for this series. ( )

Some Kind of Hero would be a good book to read on the beach or in front of a cozy fire. The book is a quick read and seems very light, but Brockmann has expertly woven three different stories into one, bringing in characters from past Troubleshooter novels and historical events surrounding the internment of Japanese Americans around the time of World War II.
In one story, Shayla Whitman, who is a romance author suffering from writers' block meets SEAL instructor Peter Greene. Shayla offers to help Peter as he looks for his missing daughter, Maddie. Shayla and Peter have an immediate chemistry that they are both fighting as they look for Peter's daughter.
Maddie is suffering from grief over the death of her mother and finds herself living with a father that she hardly knows. As a result, she makes a bad choice of friend in Fiona, who steals money and drugs from her dealer and frames Maddie before disappearing. Maddie finds help from an unlikely source as she and Fiona's former boyfriend, Dingo, try to find Fiona before the dealer acts on his threat to kill Maddie if she doesn't come up with the money she supposedly owes.
In emails that Shayla is sending to Maddie, we get the story of Peter and Maddie's mother, Lisa, and how they went from being high school friends to the point when they have a baby together.
There are so many details that become a part of this story that it moves very quickly. Humor, romance, action, and an unexpected hero all add to the enjoyment of this book. A real winner. ( )