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Troubleshooters #1
The Unsung Hero
After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton-the sweet "girl next door" who has grown into a remarkable woman. The town's infamous bad boy, Tom has always longed for Kelly. Now he has one final chance for happiness, one last chance to win her heart, and one desperate chance to save the day . . .
From the Paperback edition.
From the Paperback edition.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 6, 2000
About the author
Suzanne Brockmann
210 books3,495 followersAfter childhood plans to become the captain of a starship didn’t pan out, Suzanne Brockmann took her fascination with military history, her respect for the men and women who serve, her reverence for diversity, and her love of storytelling, and explored brave new worlds as a bestselling romance author.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 904 reviews
November 28, 2014
AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!! I bought this piece of #@*&%@#!
By the way...I need to make a new shelf...advertised as action but it ain't (okay maybe it should be 'isn't' but "ain't" has so much more, "punch".). The synopsis of this book gives us a stirring picture of an injured/ex Navy Seal who sees an international terrorist and can't get anyone to listen. So he forms his own force and goes after said terrorist.
In reality we get a great opening scene that seems to set up an action book that moves directly into a moony Seal who has been dreaming of/over a girl from high school, "the one who got away" as it were, for 16 years. Of course she's been mooning over him to, but the 2 don't know about their mutual mooning. That doesn't however save us from their fantasies and daydreams every time either sees or even thinks about the other. The book also concerns family relations with parents, sister, friends and of course the story of how the 2 old men in the book were heroes in WWII we get. But mostly we get...a romance.
I burned out. What can I say. This book is for an audience who wants a romance with a tiny bit of action thrown in for flavor. It's a school girl fantasy about the "bad boy" who turns out not to be the "bad boy". (The kind of fantasy that sets up hundreds of bad marriages and abusive relationships by the way.) This book was a waste of my time and sadly my money.
By the way...I need to make a new shelf...advertised as action but it ain't (okay maybe it should be 'isn't' but "ain't" has so much more, "punch".). The synopsis of this book gives us a stirring picture of an injured/ex Navy Seal who sees an international terrorist and can't get anyone to listen. So he forms his own force and goes after said terrorist.
In reality we get a great opening scene that seems to set up an action book that moves directly into a moony Seal who has been dreaming of/over a girl from high school, "the one who got away" as it were, for 16 years. Of course she's been mooning over him to, but the 2 don't know about their mutual mooning. That doesn't however save us from their fantasies and daydreams every time either sees or even thinks about the other. The book also concerns family relations with parents, sister, friends and of course the story of how the 2 old men in the book were heroes in WWII we get. But mostly we get...a romance.
I burned out. What can I say. This book is for an audience who wants a romance with a tiny bit of action thrown in for flavor. It's a school girl fantasy about the "bad boy" who turns out not to be the "bad boy". (The kind of fantasy that sets up hundreds of bad marriages and abusive relationships by the way.) This book was a waste of my time and sadly my money.
January 6, 2022
2022 Update
I first read this book in 2010 and this time reread it by listening to the audio version. What a difference that makes as I enjoyed the narrator’s performance! He was a great storyteller. It was remarkable how many details I’d forgotten but not the essence of the story. I actually liked it more the second time around, possibly because of the narrator but also as I had a higher appreciation for the historical story involving Charles & Joe. The ending touched me more deeply as well. I’m increasing my rating to 4.5 stars.
2010 Review
Quick summary
During a mission, Navy SEAL Tom Paoletti suffers a head injury that sidelines him. While recuperating at his New England hometown, he catches a glimpse of a notorious terrorist but no one believes him. See, Tom was the leader of SEAL Team 16 and no matter the injury, his instincts are stellar. He puts together a bare-bones team to help him figure out what's going on. In the meantime, he's also reconnecting with Kelly Ashton, his teenage crush and the woman who got away.
Why this book is special
Tom is the consummate hero. If you were to outline the qualities you'd like to see in one, you'd find them in this character. His subordinates respect and admire him and it was no wonder that Kelly fell for him all over again.
This book is also the first in one of my all-time favorite series. It's not as exciting and suspenseful as those that follow but it's important in that Tom creates the Troubleshooters group, setting the stage for all that comes next. It's romantic, funny, suspenseful and downright frightening at times.
The bottom line
Tom Paoletti exemplifies all that is honorable about our armed forces. It's a wonderful story to begin an incredible series written by one of my most favorite authors.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
I first read this book in 2010 and this time reread it by listening to the audio version. What a difference that makes as I enjoyed the narrator’s performance! He was a great storyteller. It was remarkable how many details I’d forgotten but not the essence of the story. I actually liked it more the second time around, possibly because of the narrator but also as I had a higher appreciation for the historical story involving Charles & Joe. The ending touched me more deeply as well. I’m increasing my rating to 4.5 stars.
2010 Review
Quick summary
During a mission, Navy SEAL Tom Paoletti suffers a head injury that sidelines him. While recuperating at his New England hometown, he catches a glimpse of a notorious terrorist but no one believes him. See, Tom was the leader of SEAL Team 16 and no matter the injury, his instincts are stellar. He puts together a bare-bones team to help him figure out what's going on. In the meantime, he's also reconnecting with Kelly Ashton, his teenage crush and the woman who got away.
Why this book is special
Tom is the consummate hero. If you were to outline the qualities you'd like to see in one, you'd find them in this character. His subordinates respect and admire him and it was no wonder that Kelly fell for him all over again.
This book is also the first in one of my all-time favorite series. It's not as exciting and suspenseful as those that follow but it's important in that Tom creates the Troubleshooters group, setting the stage for all that comes next. It's romantic, funny, suspenseful and downright frightening at times.
The bottom line
Tom Paoletti exemplifies all that is honorable about our armed forces. It's a wonderful story to begin an incredible series written by one of my most favorite authors.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
February 24, 2016
It’s not often that I call a romantic suspense novel beautiful and moving, but that’s exactly what The Unsung Hero was. Really, this was three separate stories weaved together into one: a second chance romance between Tom Paoletti and Kelly Ashton, a longtime friendship between two WWII veterans (Tom’s great uncle, Joe Paoletti and Kelly’s father, Charles Ashton), and a romance between Tom’s niece, Mallory and David the geek.
Tom’s back home with his Great Uncle Joe on thirty-day medical leave from his SEAL unit after a head injury nearly killed him. As the longtime grounds-keeper for Charles Ashton, Uncle Joe lives on Charles’ property in a cottage by the main house. When Tom was in high school he couldn’t ignore Charles’s beautiful, but underage daughter, Kelly. They were good friends, talking under her tree house many a summer night, their attraction growing and growing until they shared a night of passion filled kisses. Sixteen years later Tom still thinks of Kelly and she is still hurt by Tom’s sudden, unexplained departure. Now that Kelly’s father Charles is dying, she’s back home, and with Tom back as well, all the old feelings and attraction come rushing back full force.
There was massive amounts chemistry between Tom and Kelly. Their longing was palpable, making their romance fiery once they finally get together. It takes a bit for them to sort out exactly where they stand: hot temporary fling or forever? But I loved their journey!
Joe and Charles fought together with French resistance fighters back in World War II. They were lauded as heroes after the information they carried back to the Allied forces saved Charles’ company of troops: the Fighting Fifty-fifth. After the war, Joe came back with Charles and became his grounds keeper, and reluctant best friend, but Joe’s hit hard with the news of Charles’ terminal illness. Worse, at this fragile time they’re fighting because Joe has agreed to tell the story of their time in France to a reporter covering the Fighting Fifty-fifth’s reunion. Their story flops between the present and their dangerous time in France. Love, tragedy, and heartache had me in tears several times over their story!
Mallory Paoletti meets David, a geeky guy determined to get to know her, and can’t shake him. David’s an artist working on a graphic novel and Mallory is his dream lead girl, Nightshade, so he wants her to pose for pictures. After getting through Mallory’s tough defenses they form a bond, and Mallory starts to see the attractive man, inside and out, under all the geek trappings. I swear, this was the sweetest romance! I was rooting for the geek from minute one!
The suspense part was actually more in the background in my opinion. Tom thinks he spots a terrorist called the Merchant at the airport and then again in town. He’s worried the Merchant has targeted the Fighting Fifty-fifth’s award ceremony since foreign dignitaries and important government representatives are attending. Convincing the higher-ups that the Merchant is back and poses a plausible threat is quite another thing. Tom enlists the help of some of his SEAL teammates, and even Uncle Joe and Charles join in on the mission.
It does seem like a lot going on, but these stories converge and intersect seamlessly through Suzanne Brockmann’s talented and beautiful writing. Each story was emotional and I was moved to tears more than once while reading. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of this series, because The Unsung Hero was just lovely!
Tom’s back home with his Great Uncle Joe on thirty-day medical leave from his SEAL unit after a head injury nearly killed him. As the longtime grounds-keeper for Charles Ashton, Uncle Joe lives on Charles’ property in a cottage by the main house. When Tom was in high school he couldn’t ignore Charles’s beautiful, but underage daughter, Kelly. They were good friends, talking under her tree house many a summer night, their attraction growing and growing until they shared a night of passion filled kisses. Sixteen years later Tom still thinks of Kelly and she is still hurt by Tom’s sudden, unexplained departure. Now that Kelly’s father Charles is dying, she’s back home, and with Tom back as well, all the old feelings and attraction come rushing back full force.
There was massive amounts chemistry between Tom and Kelly. Their longing was palpable, making their romance fiery once they finally get together. It takes a bit for them to sort out exactly where they stand: hot temporary fling or forever? But I loved their journey!
Joe and Charles fought together with French resistance fighters back in World War II. They were lauded as heroes after the information they carried back to the Allied forces saved Charles’ company of troops: the Fighting Fifty-fifth. After the war, Joe came back with Charles and became his grounds keeper, and reluctant best friend, but Joe’s hit hard with the news of Charles’ terminal illness. Worse, at this fragile time they’re fighting because Joe has agreed to tell the story of their time in France to a reporter covering the Fighting Fifty-fifth’s reunion. Their story flops between the present and their dangerous time in France. Love, tragedy, and heartache had me in tears several times over their story!
Mallory Paoletti meets David, a geeky guy determined to get to know her, and can’t shake him. David’s an artist working on a graphic novel and Mallory is his dream lead girl, Nightshade, so he wants her to pose for pictures. After getting through Mallory’s tough defenses they form a bond, and Mallory starts to see the attractive man, inside and out, under all the geek trappings. I swear, this was the sweetest romance! I was rooting for the geek from minute one!
The suspense part was actually more in the background in my opinion. Tom thinks he spots a terrorist called the Merchant at the airport and then again in town. He’s worried the Merchant has targeted the Fighting Fifty-fifth’s award ceremony since foreign dignitaries and important government representatives are attending. Convincing the higher-ups that the Merchant is back and poses a plausible threat is quite another thing. Tom enlists the help of some of his SEAL teammates, and even Uncle Joe and Charles join in on the mission.
It does seem like a lot going on, but these stories converge and intersect seamlessly through Suzanne Brockmann’s talented and beautiful writing. Each story was emotional and I was moved to tears more than once while reading. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of this series, because The Unsung Hero was just lovely!
July 9, 2010
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" For quite some time now, I've been seeing rave reviews for Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, so I finally decided to pick up The Unsung Hero. Unfortunately, when I finished reading it, I was left with very mixed feelings about nearly every aspect of the book. Rather than being a romance in which there is one primary hero and heroine with secondary characters to support them, it felt like there was an ensemble cast. The book has three separate “love” stories going on at the same time written from no less than six points-of-view (POV). The narrative alternates between the three plots with a fourth suspense thriller plot and a few other minor points tying the trio of stories together. Normally, I don't have a problem with multiple plot-lines, but I usually prefer for them to be part of a larger story arc within both the book and series. In this case, the ties between them were so minimal that I felt each story could have been told independently of one another. I would no sooner be getting into one storyline and then it would switch to a different one which made the book feel rather choppy to me. I also typically have no difficulties with following multiple POVs, but some of the scene transitions were written in a way that was confusing to me. I occasionally found myself several paragraphs into a scene before I even realized in whose POV it was being told.
Another thing that bothered me about The Unsung Hero was the dreary, depressing overtone that permeated nearly the entire book. I usually enjoy emotion-laden stories with characters who have difficulties to overcome on the road to finding their HEA, but in this case, there were, in my opinion, too many characters going through challenging circumstances with an overabundance of repressed emotions and virtually no humor to ever lighten the mood. I also prefer for the characters to grow and change while overcoming their challenges as the story progresses rather than making peace or having an instant epiphany at the eleventh hour. Even the ending was pretty bittersweet and didn't exactly leave me with warm, fuzzy feelings.
Tom and Kelly were the supposed “main” hero and heroine, but in my mind, they never emerged as such, but instead were just 1/3 of the whole picture. In many ways, I didn't feel like I ever got to know them well enough for them to truly stand out. For me, they ended up being mostly likable but rather bland characters in spite of Tom's profession. Tom is a Navy SEAL in charge of an elite special ops force who received a serious head injury while on a mission. He is now on leave and has returned home to recover. Kelly is a caring pediatrician, but she had a lousy role model in her dad who was an alcoholic that shut out everyone, making Kelly feel like she couldn't express her emotions around him or anyone else. Her dad is now dying and she has moved home to care for him, hoping that perhaps they can reconcile before it's too late. Tom and Kelly were teenage friends who fell for each other, but when things started to heat up between them, Tom skipped town to join the Navy with hardly a word of explanation to Kelly. Now that they're back together in such close proximity, they realize that their love for one another never died, but rather than embracing those feelings, they fight them tooth and nail for the entire book which is always frustrating to me. The thing that annoyed me the most though was that Kelly decided she was going to live on the edge and have the summer fling with Tom that she had wanted all those years ago. Once things heat up between them, she flat-out tells him it's just about the sex, but then gets upset when he reacts badly to that declaration. As it was, Tom and Kelly had few enough scenes together to rebuild their relationship, but then they had to go and have some serious communication issues on top of it all. In some ways, I thought they still acted like the teenagers they once were, dancing around one another and being too afraid to express how they really felt which just aggravated me to no end. I can't even say that I was left with 100% certainly that this couple was going to make it for the long haul.
The second plot, and the saddest, revolves around the sixty-year friendship between Kelly's dad, Charles, a wealthy man who is dying of cancer and Tom's uncle, Joe, who works as his groundskeeper. They met each other during World War II in France where they both served in the military and both fell in love with the same woman, Cybele, a member of the French Resistance. A large part of their story is told in flashbacks to the time when they all first met. It was very difficult for me to like Charles at all. He's extremely emotionally repressed and a hardened, grouchy old man who can be very rude and abrasive. He spent most of his life after the war as an alcoholic, ignoring his only daughter, and running through a string of failed marriages. As a young man in WWII, he was pretty cocky and for some reason I couldn't seem to fathom, he didn't want to take credit for anything good he did accomplish. I adored Joe, a caring, mild-mannered man both in the present and the past. He is a loyal friend to Charles, but it took nearly the entire book for me to figure out why Joe would want to hang around with someone like him. Joe was also a very courageous young man to volunteer to be a spy behind enemy lines during the war. I sympathized with Cybele because of the terrible tragedy she endured, but I didn't feel like it excused what she did to Charles and Joe, especially Joe, because he was such a good man who wanted nothing more than to love and protect her. I admired her pluck in going up against the Nazis, but she was a serious psychological mess who sadly, only seemed to be living to see their downfall. I also found it very depressing that Charles and Joe were both still affected so deeply by her actions that they had, in my opinion, essentially wasted their lives. The whole tale of these three friends was an interesting one but also an extremely morose one.
The final romance, and also my favorite, was that of Tom's young niece, Mallory, and a geeky comic book artist named David who wants her to model as his latest super-hero character, Nightshade. Suzanne Brockmann gets a few extra points for writing a true geek hero who actually looks and acts like many geeks I know. Intelligence is sexy to me, and not only is David smart, he's also very sweet and gentle. He takes the time to look beneath the surface with Mallory and break down the walls that hide her vulnerable heart, while behaving like a true gentleman. David was my favorite character in the book, and the only thing about him that I even found questionable was his choice of friends. It took me a while to warm up to Mallory, because she treats David rather rudely in the beginning. With every thoughtful little thing David did for her, I could see the wheels turning in her head, but even after she agrees to model for him, she could still be rather icy and condescending toward him. It isn't until David comes to her rescue that she really starts to see him for what he truly is inside rather than just his nerdy exterior. At least, I can say that Mallory changed throughout the story, but she was the only character who really did, in my opinion. Her romance with David was a sweet, tender one, and although a few days isn't very long to fall in love, I came away feeling like they had as much or better chance of still being together down the road as the “main” couple did.
The suspense portion of the plot involving Tom's sighting of a presumed dead terrorist and his struggle to get anyone in authority to believe him was scattered throughout the book and led to a literally explosive finale. Once again, it wasn't the focus of the story, but it did bring into play a few of Tom's fellow officers, some of whom get their own books later in the series, mainly Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke (Gone too Far) and Ken "WildCard" Karmody (Out of Control). John Nilsson (The Defiant Hero) and Mark Jenkins (Into the Storm) were briefly introduced in the prologue as part of Tom's SEAL team but didn't have anything to do with the terrorist plot. The one team member who did have a decent supporting role but doesn't appear to have a book of his own yet though, is Casper “Jazz” Jacquette which is a little disappointing, because I though he was a rather interesting character.
Overall, The Unsung Hero was a decent and worthwhile read. Each plotline had it's own intriguing points, but I felt like they were spread too thin with too little of each one, especially Tom and Kelly's story, to be truly satisfying. It was also difficult to connect on an emotional level with many of the characters because of their intensely guarded feelings. The love scenes weren't as steamy as I was expecting either, although the lack of “hot sex” wouldn't have been a detractor for me if the emotional connection had been stronger. The love scenes also got a little too chatty for my taste which I thought interrupted the flow of sexual tension. Some of the dialog in general, could get a little long-winded too and occasionally repetitive, which made things drag a bit, and the author used some military abbreviations and lingo with which I was not familiar, making me think that perhaps a glossary might have been helpful. I guess the bottom line for me was that sometimes I enjoyed what I was reading and wanted to know what would happen next, while other times, I couldn't muster much enthusiasm for it. The Unsung Hero is the first book in the Troubleshooters series and my first read by Ms. Brockmann. I've heard from other readers though that it isn't necessarily the best, so with this in mind, I do intend to continue with the series and hope that it only gets better from here on out. There are currently fifteen books in the Troubleshooters series, with at least one more in the works. Readers can find a complete list of the titles and their recommended reading order on Suzanne Brockmann's website.
"3.5 stars" For quite some time now, I've been seeing rave reviews for Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, so I finally decided to pick up The Unsung Hero. Unfortunately, when I finished reading it, I was left with very mixed feelings about nearly every aspect of the book. Rather than being a romance in which there is one primary hero and heroine with secondary characters to support them, it felt like there was an ensemble cast. The book has three separate “love” stories going on at the same time written from no less than six points-of-view (POV). The narrative alternates between the three plots with a fourth suspense thriller plot and a few other minor points tying the trio of stories together. Normally, I don't have a problem with multiple plot-lines, but I usually prefer for them to be part of a larger story arc within both the book and series. In this case, the ties between them were so minimal that I felt each story could have been told independently of one another. I would no sooner be getting into one storyline and then it would switch to a different one which made the book feel rather choppy to me. I also typically have no difficulties with following multiple POVs, but some of the scene transitions were written in a way that was confusing to me. I occasionally found myself several paragraphs into a scene before I even realized in whose POV it was being told.
Another thing that bothered me about The Unsung Hero was the dreary, depressing overtone that permeated nearly the entire book. I usually enjoy emotion-laden stories with characters who have difficulties to overcome on the road to finding their HEA, but in this case, there were, in my opinion, too many characters going through challenging circumstances with an overabundance of repressed emotions and virtually no humor to ever lighten the mood. I also prefer for the characters to grow and change while overcoming their challenges as the story progresses rather than making peace or having an instant epiphany at the eleventh hour. Even the ending was pretty bittersweet and didn't exactly leave me with warm, fuzzy feelings.
Tom and Kelly were the supposed “main” hero and heroine, but in my mind, they never emerged as such, but instead were just 1/3 of the whole picture. In many ways, I didn't feel like I ever got to know them well enough for them to truly stand out. For me, they ended up being mostly likable but rather bland characters in spite of Tom's profession. Tom is a Navy SEAL in charge of an elite special ops force who received a serious head injury while on a mission. He is now on leave and has returned home to recover. Kelly is a caring pediatrician, but she had a lousy role model in her dad who was an alcoholic that shut out everyone, making Kelly feel like she couldn't express her emotions around him or anyone else. Her dad is now dying and she has moved home to care for him, hoping that perhaps they can reconcile before it's too late. Tom and Kelly were teenage friends who fell for each other, but when things started to heat up between them, Tom skipped town to join the Navy with hardly a word of explanation to Kelly. Now that they're back together in such close proximity, they realize that their love for one another never died, but rather than embracing those feelings, they fight them tooth and nail for the entire book which is always frustrating to me. The thing that annoyed me the most though was that Kelly decided she was going to live on the edge and have the summer fling with Tom that she had wanted all those years ago. Once things heat up between them, she flat-out tells him it's just about the sex, but then gets upset when he reacts badly to that declaration. As it was, Tom and Kelly had few enough scenes together to rebuild their relationship, but then they had to go and have some serious communication issues on top of it all. In some ways, I thought they still acted like the teenagers they once were, dancing around one another and being too afraid to express how they really felt which just aggravated me to no end. I can't even say that I was left with 100% certainly that this couple was going to make it for the long haul.
The second plot, and the saddest, revolves around the sixty-year friendship between Kelly's dad, Charles, a wealthy man who is dying of cancer and Tom's uncle, Joe, who works as his groundskeeper. They met each other during World War II in France where they both served in the military and both fell in love with the same woman, Cybele, a member of the French Resistance. A large part of their story is told in flashbacks to the time when they all first met. It was very difficult for me to like Charles at all. He's extremely emotionally repressed and a hardened, grouchy old man who can be very rude and abrasive. He spent most of his life after the war as an alcoholic, ignoring his only daughter, and running through a string of failed marriages. As a young man in WWII, he was pretty cocky and for some reason I couldn't seem to fathom, he didn't want to take credit for anything good he did accomplish. I adored Joe, a caring, mild-mannered man both in the present and the past. He is a loyal friend to Charles, but it took nearly the entire book for me to figure out why Joe would want to hang around with someone like him. Joe was also a very courageous young man to volunteer to be a spy behind enemy lines during the war. I sympathized with Cybele because of the terrible tragedy she endured, but I didn't feel like it excused what she did to Charles and Joe, especially Joe, because he was such a good man who wanted nothing more than to love and protect her. I admired her pluck in going up against the Nazis, but she was a serious psychological mess who sadly, only seemed to be living to see their downfall. I also found it very depressing that Charles and Joe were both still affected so deeply by her actions that they had, in my opinion, essentially wasted their lives. The whole tale of these three friends was an interesting one but also an extremely morose one.
The final romance, and also my favorite, was that of Tom's young niece, Mallory, and a geeky comic book artist named David who wants her to model as his latest super-hero character, Nightshade. Suzanne Brockmann gets a few extra points for writing a true geek hero who actually looks and acts like many geeks I know. Intelligence is sexy to me, and not only is David smart, he's also very sweet and gentle. He takes the time to look beneath the surface with Mallory and break down the walls that hide her vulnerable heart, while behaving like a true gentleman. David was my favorite character in the book, and the only thing about him that I even found questionable was his choice of friends. It took me a while to warm up to Mallory, because she treats David rather rudely in the beginning. With every thoughtful little thing David did for her, I could see the wheels turning in her head, but even after she agrees to model for him, she could still be rather icy and condescending toward him. It isn't until David comes to her rescue that she really starts to see him for what he truly is inside rather than just his nerdy exterior. At least, I can say that Mallory changed throughout the story, but she was the only character who really did, in my opinion. Her romance with David was a sweet, tender one, and although a few days isn't very long to fall in love, I came away feeling like they had as much or better chance of still being together down the road as the “main” couple did.
The suspense portion of the plot involving Tom's sighting of a presumed dead terrorist and his struggle to get anyone in authority to believe him was scattered throughout the book and led to a literally explosive finale. Once again, it wasn't the focus of the story, but it did bring into play a few of Tom's fellow officers, some of whom get their own books later in the series, mainly Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke (Gone too Far) and Ken "WildCard" Karmody (Out of Control). John Nilsson (The Defiant Hero) and Mark Jenkins (Into the Storm) were briefly introduced in the prologue as part of Tom's SEAL team but didn't have anything to do with the terrorist plot. The one team member who did have a decent supporting role but doesn't appear to have a book of his own yet though, is Casper “Jazz” Jacquette which is a little disappointing, because I though he was a rather interesting character.
Overall, The Unsung Hero was a decent and worthwhile read. Each plotline had it's own intriguing points, but I felt like they were spread too thin with too little of each one, especially Tom and Kelly's story, to be truly satisfying. It was also difficult to connect on an emotional level with many of the characters because of their intensely guarded feelings. The love scenes weren't as steamy as I was expecting either, although the lack of “hot sex” wouldn't have been a detractor for me if the emotional connection had been stronger. The love scenes also got a little too chatty for my taste which I thought interrupted the flow of sexual tension. Some of the dialog in general, could get a little long-winded too and occasionally repetitive, which made things drag a bit, and the author used some military abbreviations and lingo with which I was not familiar, making me think that perhaps a glossary might have been helpful. I guess the bottom line for me was that sometimes I enjoyed what I was reading and wanted to know what would happen next, while other times, I couldn't muster much enthusiasm for it. The Unsung Hero is the first book in the Troubleshooters series and my first read by Ms. Brockmann. I've heard from other readers though that it isn't necessarily the best, so with this in mind, I do intend to continue with the series and hope that it only gets better from here on out. There are currently fifteen books in the Troubleshooters series, with at least one more in the works. Readers can find a complete list of the titles and their recommended reading order on Suzanne Brockmann's website.
September 1, 2017
*** 4 ***
A buddy read with the The Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas, because at times we get all romantic and stuff:):):)
When I was just a little speck of a human, I shared a bedroom with my baby brother and my older than G-d gypsy grandmother. The bane of my existence, that is my brother of course, was very small and had a baby cradle, but my grandma and I shared a double bed. I loved the evenings when we would go to bed at the same time, because I knew I would get a story about the wars through which she and the grandfather I had never met had lived. Before spy movies and action thrillers, my grandma filled my head with the stories of resistance against the Nazis, about the time when Greece took Bulgarian lands from around the Aegean Sea and she and her husband, with a baby on their hands, had to uproot once again and move to a new city and start all over again... Many thought of my granny as a seer, a fortune teller, even a country-raised psychologist, but to me she was the woman with the thousand stories, always new and fresh, and so very exciting, knowing that I come from a family of rebels, of brave and honorable dreamers, never mind that the results of those dreams were not always what they had hoped for....
Granny had a way of telling a story, and this book, the whole thing, reminded me of her and her tales, which she would tell me every evening until she was gone... I think the strong emotions the book provoked in me were most influenced by the ark of the two older men who remembered the time they spend in France during WW2, behind enemy lines, and the woman who stole their hearts. It was way to similar to those late night stories grandma loved to tell.
"...“Yes, it was Joe’s story, but it was his story, too. It was his life, his secrets, his failures.
His grief.
Nearly sixty years of running from himself, from all his pain, all his heartache, and here he was. Still here.
Still aching.”..."
The book has three story arcs. The main one is about Tom Paoletti and Kelly Ashton. Tom is a Navy SEAL (yay SEALs!!!) and is going home after a head injury for about a month. Home is where his Great Uncle Joe is, and that is in a town near Boston, where he is the grounds keeper of the estate of his rich war buddy Charles Ashton. Joe and Charles made it back home together after WW2 and have been best friends ever since. Dr. Kelly Ashtom is Charles's doughtier and only child, who has come back home to take care of her dying father. It just so happens that Tom and Kelly had always had a thing for each-other, just never got it on. Now they are older, have had some life behind them, and are very weary of starting anything with anyone... They were the sexy-sizzling times couple.
"...“You can't choose who you love, Kelly, but you can waste it. Why on earth would anyone want to waste it?”..."
While contemplating his waning life, Charles remembers the time he was hiding in Paris, a place where he met Joe, in a house belonging to the French resistance fighter Cybele, a tragic figure full of contrasting passions and making an impression on the two young Americans, which will stay with them for life. This is the arc which had me an emotional wreck, I was so fascinated with the two old guys and the way the love for this woman kept them together until the end. It was beautiful, and painful, and wrong, but so very strong and right in all the ways that mattered!!! I couldn't wait for the little moments we got to learn everything about this arc! This was the love triangle in flashbacks arc.
"...“Joe had been a good-looking man, too, but Charles had had a magical air about him. He still had it, even at eighty. Even back when he was drinking and at his most cruel and verbally abusive, even then, the spark didn’t quite go out.”..."
As I said, it was ugly and harsh at times, but very poignant!
The sweet, although at times dumb-teenage-ridiculous couple arc was about Mallory Paoletti, Tom's 18 year old niece, and a geeky, but gentle, talented and very persistent artist, the 20 years old college student David. David steels your heart, want it or not! He is just adorable and I hope Mallory deserves him, because she was a total judgmental ass when they first met. They are the sweet, new love arc.
"...“As long as I’ve got a book, it doesn’t matter where I am. I can instantly be a million miles away, in a completely different place, on a different planet even. I can be someone else, you know? When it gets too complicated to be myself.”..."
Amen, brother! This is the reason most of us are book addicts:):):)
So, these three stories coalesce around a possible terrorist bombing plan, which is a bit of a second thought as far as the plot is concerned. It becomes a catalyst for the characters to move forward with their life choices, but it was not what the book was truly about. It is a romance, character driven and old school, and I would recommend it to all who love romance in all of its forms. I personally would love to continue with the series:)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many wonderful books to come!!!
A buddy read with the The Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas, because at times we get all romantic and stuff:):):)
When I was just a little speck of a human, I shared a bedroom with my baby brother and my older than G-d gypsy grandmother. The bane of my existence, that is my brother of course, was very small and had a baby cradle, but my grandma and I shared a double bed. I loved the evenings when we would go to bed at the same time, because I knew I would get a story about the wars through which she and the grandfather I had never met had lived. Before spy movies and action thrillers, my grandma filled my head with the stories of resistance against the Nazis, about the time when Greece took Bulgarian lands from around the Aegean Sea and she and her husband, with a baby on their hands, had to uproot once again and move to a new city and start all over again... Many thought of my granny as a seer, a fortune teller, even a country-raised psychologist, but to me she was the woman with the thousand stories, always new and fresh, and so very exciting, knowing that I come from a family of rebels, of brave and honorable dreamers, never mind that the results of those dreams were not always what they had hoped for....
Granny had a way of telling a story, and this book, the whole thing, reminded me of her and her tales, which she would tell me every evening until she was gone... I think the strong emotions the book provoked in me were most influenced by the ark of the two older men who remembered the time they spend in France during WW2, behind enemy lines, and the woman who stole their hearts. It was way to similar to those late night stories grandma loved to tell.
"...“Yes, it was Joe’s story, but it was his story, too. It was his life, his secrets, his failures.
His grief.
Nearly sixty years of running from himself, from all his pain, all his heartache, and here he was. Still here.
Still aching.”..."
The book has three story arcs. The main one is about Tom Paoletti and Kelly Ashton. Tom is a Navy SEAL (yay SEALs!!!) and is going home after a head injury for about a month. Home is where his Great Uncle Joe is, and that is in a town near Boston, where he is the grounds keeper of the estate of his rich war buddy Charles Ashton. Joe and Charles made it back home together after WW2 and have been best friends ever since. Dr. Kelly Ashtom is Charles's doughtier and only child, who has come back home to take care of her dying father. It just so happens that Tom and Kelly had always had a thing for each-other, just never got it on. Now they are older, have had some life behind them, and are very weary of starting anything with anyone... They were the sexy-sizzling times couple.
"...“You can't choose who you love, Kelly, but you can waste it. Why on earth would anyone want to waste it?”..."
While contemplating his waning life, Charles remembers the time he was hiding in Paris, a place where he met Joe, in a house belonging to the French resistance fighter Cybele, a tragic figure full of contrasting passions and making an impression on the two young Americans, which will stay with them for life. This is the arc which had me an emotional wreck, I was so fascinated with the two old guys and the way the love for this woman kept them together until the end. It was beautiful, and painful, and wrong, but so very strong and right in all the ways that mattered!!! I couldn't wait for the little moments we got to learn everything about this arc! This was the love triangle in flashbacks arc.
"...“Joe had been a good-looking man, too, but Charles had had a magical air about him. He still had it, even at eighty. Even back when he was drinking and at his most cruel and verbally abusive, even then, the spark didn’t quite go out.”..."
As I said, it was ugly and harsh at times, but very poignant!
The sweet, although at times dumb-teenage-ridiculous couple arc was about Mallory Paoletti, Tom's 18 year old niece, and a geeky, but gentle, talented and very persistent artist, the 20 years old college student David. David steels your heart, want it or not! He is just adorable and I hope Mallory deserves him, because she was a total judgmental ass when they first met. They are the sweet, new love arc.
"...“As long as I’ve got a book, it doesn’t matter where I am. I can instantly be a million miles away, in a completely different place, on a different planet even. I can be someone else, you know? When it gets too complicated to be myself.”..."
Amen, brother! This is the reason most of us are book addicts:):):)
So, these three stories coalesce around a possible terrorist bombing plan, which is a bit of a second thought as far as the plot is concerned. It becomes a catalyst for the characters to move forward with their life choices, but it was not what the book was truly about. It is a romance, character driven and old school, and I would recommend it to all who love romance in all of its forms. I personally would love to continue with the series:)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many wonderful books to come!!!
September 14, 2017
When will I learn that romantic suspense and I don't get along?
This ended up being an okay read for me. I enjoyed it enough to keep going back to it and wanted to know what was happening, but it wasn't my favourite.
The main couple in this were horrible. Kelly and Tom were insufferable and I didn't particularly want them to end up together.
The secondary romance story of David and Mallory, though. YAS. I was all about their romance. Their love story is what kept me coming back to this book. YOUNG LOVE! It's so adorable and sweet and fluffy and DELICIOUS. I wish they were the focus couple instead of stupid Kelly and Tom.
I didn't find this book particularly suspenseful, but I did keep coming back to read more about David and Mallory. So this wasn't a total bust.
Still deciding if I will continue the rest of the series with my fellow buddy readers. I probably will.
3 Stars
Thanks for the buddy read you lovely Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas!
This ended up being an okay read for me. I enjoyed it enough to keep going back to it and wanted to know what was happening, but it wasn't my favourite.
The main couple in this were horrible. Kelly and Tom were insufferable and I didn't particularly want them to end up together.
The secondary romance story of David and Mallory, though. YAS. I was all about their romance. Their love story is what kept me coming back to this book. YOUNG LOVE! It's so adorable and sweet and fluffy and DELICIOUS. I wish they were the focus couple instead of stupid Kelly and Tom.
I didn't find this book particularly suspenseful, but I did keep coming back to read more about David and Mallory. So this wasn't a total bust.
Still deciding if I will continue the rest of the series with my fellow buddy readers. I probably will.
3 Stars
Thanks for the buddy read you lovely Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas!
April 7, 2013
Disclaimer: This review is done by someone who does not LIKE romance novels. It's not that he is not romantic, but in black and white, it's just not his game.
Firstly, may I ask ANYONE to tell me what THIS synopsis promises?
"After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton-the sweet "girl next door" who has grown into a remarkable woman. The town's infamous bad boy, Tom has always longed for Kelly. Now he has one final chance for happiness, one last chance to win her heart, and one desperate chance to save the day".
Does it promise a thriller, action, suspense? Or does it promise romance and that too the "puppy love" types. Here I was getting ready to save the world and ALL I saw was "everybody was falling in love with everybody", "everyone was kissing everyone", "everyone made out with everyone", "everyone wanted to marry everyone", etc. I mean even the old men in the book had to GO BACK in time (as flashback) and take me through how again "everybody was falling in love with everybody", "everyone was kissing everyone", "everyone made out with everyone", "everyone wanted to marry everyone", status during their times.
ONE single question haunted me throughout, and that was "Gosh, these people are kissing away, making out, holding hands all the time. Who is going to catch the terrorist?" I did feel sorry for the terrorist. He was risking his life trying to blow away a whole town and NOBODY bothered. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I DO BELIEVE IN LOVE, but when it comes to love oozing out of every available orifice and that too in the gooiest and mushiest form, it gets kinda risky. I was scared to even go out during this reading period because my entire vibes were so mushy, strangers would have probably kissed me, made out with me, married me …. Shudder … anything could have happened. But I didn't give up, I finished it. Ladies, see? I DIDN'T GIVE UP ON LOVE. (bats eyelid and smiles the cutest smile)
I have finally finished. It is time to watch "Spy Game", "Scarface", "The Godfather", a few Bond movies to get back on track. My legs are like jelly now, (so much mush), and I truly hope that these movies heal me completely.
For all you romance lovers … this is your book. But I must say, I have found an "awesome gift" to be given to all the ladies in my life. Heck, I will even go down on my knees when I am gifting it. It will probably help me transform my wicked self into something Holy.
Firstly, may I ask ANYONE to tell me what THIS synopsis promises?
"After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton-the sweet "girl next door" who has grown into a remarkable woman. The town's infamous bad boy, Tom has always longed for Kelly. Now he has one final chance for happiness, one last chance to win her heart, and one desperate chance to save the day".
Does it promise a thriller, action, suspense? Or does it promise romance and that too the "puppy love" types. Here I was getting ready to save the world and ALL I saw was "everybody was falling in love with everybody", "everyone was kissing everyone", "everyone made out with everyone", "everyone wanted to marry everyone", etc. I mean even the old men in the book had to GO BACK in time (as flashback) and take me through how again "everybody was falling in love with everybody", "everyone was kissing everyone", "everyone made out with everyone", "everyone wanted to marry everyone", status during their times.
ONE single question haunted me throughout, and that was "Gosh, these people are kissing away, making out, holding hands all the time. Who is going to catch the terrorist?" I did feel sorry for the terrorist. He was risking his life trying to blow away a whole town and NOBODY bothered. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I DO BELIEVE IN LOVE, but when it comes to love oozing out of every available orifice and that too in the gooiest and mushiest form, it gets kinda risky. I was scared to even go out during this reading period because my entire vibes were so mushy, strangers would have probably kissed me, made out with me, married me …. Shudder … anything could have happened. But I didn't give up, I finished it. Ladies, see? I DIDN'T GIVE UP ON LOVE. (bats eyelid and smiles the cutest smile)
I have finally finished. It is time to watch "Spy Game", "Scarface", "The Godfather", a few Bond movies to get back on track. My legs are like jelly now, (so much mush), and I truly hope that these movies heal me completely.
For all you romance lovers … this is your book. But I must say, I have found an "awesome gift" to be given to all the ladies in my life. Heck, I will even go down on my knees when I am gifting it. It will probably help me transform my wicked self into something Holy.
December 26, 2015
I listened to this on Overdrive. I thought the narration was excellent, but this book may have been better served read vs. listened to. It was my first Brockmann book so I had no idea what to expect.
This was a BIG book. A TON going on. No less than 3 separate (but linked) plots that could have been their own books. This was like reading a movie. It could be a movie. If you lose focus listening you could miss something important and find yourself in the middle of a different plot with no idea what happened. I found myself rewinding a few times.
Basically this story was about Tom and Kelly. He left his small town behind (16 years prior) at almost 19. Leaving behind Kelly who had a monster crush on her neighbor. But Kelly was only 15 and after one kiss, Tom knew he needed to leave both because she was too young and because he did not want to be trapped there living with his Uncle Joe after his Mom kicked him out when he was 14.
Tom joined the navy and became the commander of the most elite SEAL team. He has never been in love. He is married to his career, which he loves. He was hurt on a mission and is home to visit Joe briefly. He had a head injury and is worried he is having bouts of paranoia and seeing things that are not true. Even though he knows they are....
While Tom broke Kelly's heart, she did not sit around waiting. She became a doctor, married and divorced 2 years prior. She has just moved home to her Dad's from Boston because he has been diagnosed with cancer and has less than 3 months to live. Her Dad Charles is best friends with Joe, since they served together in WWII.
Tom and Kelly reconnect after. 16 year separation. Knowing it can only be short term. But feelings change. At least on his side. Kelly pissed me off at times, but I also felt Tom was a bit too whiney.
This book is also about Kelly trying to have some connection to her dad before he dies.
And Charles' relationship with Joe. What really happened in France during the war? We get a ton of flashbacks. They both fell in love with the same woman. It was a heartbreaking story that you know had no good outcome.
Lastly, Tom's 18 year old niece, Mallory, meets and falls for David. This was my favorite storyline. David was such a lovable nerdy, geek and Mallory was his Amazon warrior princess. It was not a perfect match on paper, but I cheered for them from the first time they met and loved their parts!
All of this is going on underneath an overarching suspense plot involving an international terrorist.
Whew! I skipped so much but feel like I wrote a novel just trying to describe the plot so I will keep my comments fairly brief.
I enjoyed the overall story. There were parts that interested me less than others, but they all were engaging. I believe this is best described as a suspense novel because that part overpowered the romance. At least the romance between the H/h. I felt a lot more romance in the David - Mallory relationship. But it was a very enjoyable story. The suspense plot wrapped up in a sad but kind of too neat to be believed way. And we did not really get closure on the after effects. Those are probably revealed in future books in the series.
I am sure I will read more books in this series, but I may search for ones with a bit more romance.
Safety gang safe.
This was a BIG book. A TON going on. No less than 3 separate (but linked) plots that could have been their own books. This was like reading a movie. It could be a movie. If you lose focus listening you could miss something important and find yourself in the middle of a different plot with no idea what happened. I found myself rewinding a few times.
Basically this story was about Tom and Kelly. He left his small town behind (16 years prior) at almost 19. Leaving behind Kelly who had a monster crush on her neighbor. But Kelly was only 15 and after one kiss, Tom knew he needed to leave both because she was too young and because he did not want to be trapped there living with his Uncle Joe after his Mom kicked him out when he was 14.
Tom joined the navy and became the commander of the most elite SEAL team. He has never been in love. He is married to his career, which he loves. He was hurt on a mission and is home to visit Joe briefly. He had a head injury and is worried he is having bouts of paranoia and seeing things that are not true. Even though he knows they are....
While Tom broke Kelly's heart, she did not sit around waiting. She became a doctor, married and divorced 2 years prior. She has just moved home to her Dad's from Boston because he has been diagnosed with cancer and has less than 3 months to live. Her Dad Charles is best friends with Joe, since they served together in WWII.
Tom and Kelly reconnect after. 16 year separation. Knowing it can only be short term. But feelings change. At least on his side. Kelly pissed me off at times, but I also felt Tom was a bit too whiney.
This book is also about Kelly trying to have some connection to her dad before he dies.
And Charles' relationship with Joe. What really happened in France during the war? We get a ton of flashbacks. They both fell in love with the same woman. It was a heartbreaking story that you know had no good outcome.
Lastly, Tom's 18 year old niece, Mallory, meets and falls for David. This was my favorite storyline. David was such a lovable nerdy, geek and Mallory was his Amazon warrior princess. It was not a perfect match on paper, but I cheered for them from the first time they met and loved their parts!
All of this is going on underneath an overarching suspense plot involving an international terrorist.
Whew! I skipped so much but feel like I wrote a novel just trying to describe the plot so I will keep my comments fairly brief.
I enjoyed the overall story. There were parts that interested me less than others, but they all were engaging. I believe this is best described as a suspense novel because that part overpowered the romance. At least the romance between the H/h. I felt a lot more romance in the David - Mallory relationship. But it was a very enjoyable story. The suspense plot wrapped up in a sad but kind of too neat to be believed way. And we did not really get closure on the after effects. Those are probably revealed in future books in the series.
I am sure I will read more books in this series, but I may search for ones with a bit more romance.
Safety gang safe.
January 15, 2022
On a 30-day medical leave after suffering a head wound in the line of duty, Navy SEAL Lt. Tom Paoletti believes he recognizes The Merchant, a presumed dead international terrorist, at the airport. His superiors question his story, wondering if he is suffering from paranoia due to his head injury. As Tom tries to relax while visiting his great uncle Joe, he sees Kelly Ashton, a childhood friend he hasn't seen in years. As Kelly and Tom get reacquainted, they realize the chemistry that drew them together as teenagers is still strong. But when Tom once again sees The Merchant, he questions his sanity. Has his injury caused career-ending problems? Or is there a terrorist in their midst?
I have wanted to read this book for a long time after hearing so many good things about it. I have to say it lived up to its praise. This book has many story threads. If you are not a fan of multiple storylines, this may not be the book for you. Besides the romance between Tom and Kelly, and the fact that Tom is seeing terrorists when others are questioning his sanity, we have a WWII flashback story about Tom's Uncle Joe and his best friend Charles Ashton (Kelly's father), who met during the war. Another story thread is a secondary romance between Tom's niece, Mallory and a geeky comic book artist named David.
I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. All of the stories were strong and blended beautifully by the end of the book. I can't wait to start the next book in Brockmann's Troubleshooters series. My rating: 5 Stars.
Re-read 2022: This book stands the test of time. There are so many things that I forgot since first reading this book six years ago. I am re-reading the series and hope all of the books are still as good as they were the first time around. This one is still 5 Stars.
I have wanted to read this book for a long time after hearing so many good things about it. I have to say it lived up to its praise. This book has many story threads. If you are not a fan of multiple storylines, this may not be the book for you. Besides the romance between Tom and Kelly, and the fact that Tom is seeing terrorists when others are questioning his sanity, we have a WWII flashback story about Tom's Uncle Joe and his best friend Charles Ashton (Kelly's father), who met during the war. Another story thread is a secondary romance between Tom's niece, Mallory and a geeky comic book artist named David.
I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. All of the stories were strong and blended beautifully by the end of the book. I can't wait to start the next book in Brockmann's Troubleshooters series. My rating: 5 Stars.
Re-read 2022: This book stands the test of time. There are so many things that I forgot since first reading this book six years ago. I am re-reading the series and hope all of the books are still as good as they were the first time around. This one is still 5 Stars.
January 18, 2016
Originally read in 2001, re-read in 2016
This is the First of the Troubleshooters/SEAL tem 16 series.
Tom Paoletti is the CO of the SEAL team 16. After a rescue gone awry that resulted in him being a coma from head injuries, Tom is put on medical leave for 30 days. As he arrives home, he learns that his uncle is being honored as a WWII hero, he begins a romance with Kelly Ashton, the sexy doctor from next door and he catches glimpse of a long pursued,international terrorist known as The Merchant. Tom immediately alerts his superiors. However, The Merchant is believed to be dead and that, coupled with Tom's recent head injury (and an Admiral who totally hates Tom), makes them believe he is suffering from delusions and paranoia. Tom himself isn't so sure that he's not going crazy. But repeated sightings convinces him there is a real threat. Knowing he is on he own he calls in a few members of his team to help him out.
In the meantime, Kelly's father who is best friends with Tom's uncle Joe is dying from terminal cancer. The two friends met while both were behind enemy lines during WWII. The two men share years of memories of a very special French Resistance fighter with whom they were both in love (and still are).
And Tom's niece Mallory embarks upon a sweet romance with a nerdy graphic novelist who wants to use her as his muse for his latest book.
I decided to do a re-read of Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series in honor of the most recent and 13th book of the series, Into the Fire. That and the fact that I really hadn't re-read any of the books.
I remember when I first read this book. I had never read a Brockmann book before and, at the time this book was produced, I hadn't encountered any other books that used the military as a backdrop so thoroughly. I like her use of the salty language, the military argot and the camaraderie and trust that is built within the team.
I also like the multiple storylines. As the series went on, I soon learned that this was a hallmark of Brockmann's storytelling. She writes a main romance pairing the primary H/H. And then she includes a secondary romantic couple, one that usually runs as an arc through several books before culminating in a book of their own, and finally she includes a flashback story the centers on a WWII romance that has a connection to the people in current time. The multi-line/ long arc storytelling is right up my alley. I always likes series because I enjoy re-visiting characters. I also think it gives the author the luxury of building a depth of character that they simply can't achieve usually in a single volume.
Having Tom, the CO of the SEAL 16 team feature in the first book is a great choice. Tom is the center around which they all revolve. He is the one they all love and respect. In this first book we get first glimpses of characters who will over the course of the series become very familiar: Jazz, Wildcard, Johnny Nilsson, Chief Stan etc.
And this brings me to Sam and Alyssa. This is the book where we first meet Sam and Alyssa, the breakout couple of the series. Their angsty romance runs in the background for the next four books until book six when they get their own story. Even back when I read the book for the first time, not knowing what Brockmann had in store for S&A, I knew these two had chemistry. I like it when a writer plants these little seeds early on so that you can watch something grow over time. Brockmann is great at that and it is part of what makes this series a must read for me.
I highly recommend.
This is the First of the Troubleshooters/SEAL tem 16 series.
Tom Paoletti is the CO of the SEAL team 16. After a rescue gone awry that resulted in him being a coma from head injuries, Tom is put on medical leave for 30 days. As he arrives home, he learns that his uncle is being honored as a WWII hero, he begins a romance with Kelly Ashton, the sexy doctor from next door and he catches glimpse of a long pursued,international terrorist known as The Merchant. Tom immediately alerts his superiors. However, The Merchant is believed to be dead and that, coupled with Tom's recent head injury (and an Admiral who totally hates Tom), makes them believe he is suffering from delusions and paranoia. Tom himself isn't so sure that he's not going crazy. But repeated sightings convinces him there is a real threat. Knowing he is on he own he calls in a few members of his team to help him out.
In the meantime, Kelly's father who is best friends with Tom's uncle Joe is dying from terminal cancer. The two friends met while both were behind enemy lines during WWII. The two men share years of memories of a very special French Resistance fighter with whom they were both in love (and still are).
And Tom's niece Mallory embarks upon a sweet romance with a nerdy graphic novelist who wants to use her as his muse for his latest book.
I decided to do a re-read of Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series in honor of the most recent and 13th book of the series, Into the Fire. That and the fact that I really hadn't re-read any of the books.
I remember when I first read this book. I had never read a Brockmann book before and, at the time this book was produced, I hadn't encountered any other books that used the military as a backdrop so thoroughly. I like her use of the salty language, the military argot and the camaraderie and trust that is built within the team.
I also like the multiple storylines. As the series went on, I soon learned that this was a hallmark of Brockmann's storytelling. She writes a main romance pairing the primary H/H. And then she includes a secondary romantic couple, one that usually runs as an arc through several books before culminating in a book of their own, and finally she includes a flashback story the centers on a WWII romance that has a connection to the people in current time. The multi-line/ long arc storytelling is right up my alley. I always likes series because I enjoy re-visiting characters. I also think it gives the author the luxury of building a depth of character that they simply can't achieve usually in a single volume.
Having Tom, the CO of the SEAL 16 team feature in the first book is a great choice. Tom is the center around which they all revolve. He is the one they all love and respect. In this first book we get first glimpses of characters who will over the course of the series become very familiar: Jazz, Wildcard, Johnny Nilsson, Chief Stan etc.
And this brings me to Sam and Alyssa. This is the book where we first meet Sam and Alyssa, the breakout couple of the series. Their angsty romance runs in the background for the next four books until book six when they get their own story. Even back when I read the book for the first time, not knowing what Brockmann had in store for S&A, I knew these two had chemistry. I like it when a writer plants these little seeds early on so that you can watch something grow over time. Brockmann is great at that and it is part of what makes this series a must read for me.
I highly recommend.
August 4, 2023
It was definitely a quick and easy read that kept me awake for two nights.
I have to admit that I skipped all the parts about World War II. This was nothing about this book particularly; I just can't stand any stories about this period as they upset me. I had some hard times when I was at school with all these obligatory readings about the War. Now, that I read mostly for pleasure, I just avoid this subject. So, I skipped those parts in this book. I also have to admit that I also skimmed some parts of Mellory and David's story; I just wasn't interested in them, knowing from the beginning how this will end (right, like I didn't know what will happen with Tom and Kelly :)).
The characters are likable, and their personalities are not obvious. I liked that Kelly and Tom had a crush on each other in the past; it makes the romance part quite believable and much more interesting.
I also enjoyed the first sex scene and the fact that it is Kelly who is pushing. And that Tom is more certain of his love and that he copes better with his feelings. Again, it isn't very obvious and makes this story unique.
This was my first book in this series, so beloved by everyone, and I will definitely continue with it.
I have to admit that I skipped all the parts about World War II. This was nothing about this book particularly; I just can't stand any stories about this period as they upset me. I had some hard times when I was at school with all these obligatory readings about the War. Now, that I read mostly for pleasure, I just avoid this subject. So, I skipped those parts in this book. I also have to admit that I also skimmed some parts of Mellory and David's story; I just wasn't interested in them, knowing from the beginning how this will end (right, like I didn't know what will happen with Tom and Kelly :)).
The characters are likable, and their personalities are not obvious. I liked that Kelly and Tom had a crush on each other in the past; it makes the romance part quite believable and much more interesting.
I also enjoyed the first sex scene and the fact that it is Kelly who is pushing. And that Tom is more certain of his love and that he copes better with his feelings. Again, it isn't very obvious and makes this story unique.
This was my first book in this series, so beloved by everyone, and I will definitely continue with it.
November 19, 2008
A hard one to review as there were several story lines going on, but overall it was a very satisfying romance suspense novel with plenty of intrigue and interesting secondary characters. The main story centers around Tom and Kelly, who are reunited in their home town after 16 years.
What makes this book really good is the character development and the suspense storyline, but the romance itself is typical stuff with them getting to know each other again, a few small misunderstandings, and them dealing with some minor past issues. There is a secondary romance between David and Mallory that I thought was much more riveting, and IMHO the secret stars of this book.
There was also a storyline with Tom's uncle and Kelly's father as they retold their story of events in WWII. I could have done without that bit, but it did help make for one tear jerker of an ending.
I have already read books 7-13 in this series, so it was interesting reading book 1 after already knowing much of what will happen later on. This may not be my favorite book in the series, but it was really enjoyable.
What makes this book really good is the character development and the suspense storyline, but the romance itself is typical stuff with them getting to know each other again, a few small misunderstandings, and them dealing with some minor past issues. There is a secondary romance between David and Mallory that I thought was much more riveting, and IMHO the secret stars of this book.
There was also a storyline with Tom's uncle and Kelly's father as they retold their story of events in WWII. I could have done without that bit, but it did help make for one tear jerker of an ending.
I have already read books 7-13 in this series, so it was interesting reading book 1 after already knowing much of what will happen later on. This may not be my favorite book in the series, but it was really enjoyable.
October 30, 2018
Wow, I loved this one. It was written back in 2000, but it still feels fresh and current. I am definitely going to read this series as well as more books by Ms. Brockmann. I am not sure why I haven't read any of her books before this, but that won't be the case going forward.
Ms. Brockmann has crafted a great suspense plot into the lives of six primary characters.
Tom is placed on leave due to a head injury he incurred in his last rescue mission. When he sees an international terrorist (The Merchant) in Boston, he's not sure whether to believe in himself or if he only thinks he saw The Merchant due to his head injury.
As Tom tries to recuperate at his Uncle's home, he finds himself falling for Kelly Ashton again. Kelly is home taking care of her father who only has a short time left due to cancer. As they get to know each other again, they also learn about their Uncle/Father and the 55th Division of WWII. And they also learn that there is going to be a ceremony to honor the heroes of the 55th to be held in Baldwin's Bridge.
The suspense plot of a potential terrorist at the honor ceremony is done really well. With no one at HQ believing him he creates a team with his niece, her "new" boyfriend, Kelly, the respective elderly Uncle & Father and a couple of members of his team that can get leave to try to find The Merchant.
There are 3 relationships being developed in the book in addition to the suspense plot, Tom and Kelly, a past romance for Charles and Joe and then a very cute romance between Tom's niece and her boyfriend. It's not always easy to weave past and present and multiple plot lines but Ms. Brockmann does it seamlessly. I love the way she wove the historical WWII events of Joe, Charles and Cybele and I loved the character development of Joe and Charles. This was all so well done and pulled me into the past story as well as kept me grounded into the current story.
Tom and Kelly's relationship felt very real. A few ups and downs that felt like how real people react to each other even when they care. There is definitely some truth and realism that when you attempt to protect your heart from getting broke, you can lose out on what your heart desires most.
"He'd been guilty of doing the one thing he'd hated most when it was done to him. He hadn't looked beyond neat labels and obvious appearances to the real person below." (Tom when thinking of Kelly. Page 255)
One of the appealing aspects of this book is that the men were honorable. It seems like there are so many books lately that keep trying to make the Alpha Jerk a desirable character, but that is NOT who I want for a book boyfriend. Yeah, the men in this book may make a mistake or they may try to protect their heart, but they know how to treat the woman they love.
Ms. Brockmann has crafted a great suspense plot into the lives of six primary characters.
Tom is placed on leave due to a head injury he incurred in his last rescue mission. When he sees an international terrorist (The Merchant) in Boston, he's not sure whether to believe in himself or if he only thinks he saw The Merchant due to his head injury.
As Tom tries to recuperate at his Uncle's home, he finds himself falling for Kelly Ashton again. Kelly is home taking care of her father who only has a short time left due to cancer. As they get to know each other again, they also learn about their Uncle/Father and the 55th Division of WWII. And they also learn that there is going to be a ceremony to honor the heroes of the 55th to be held in Baldwin's Bridge.
The suspense plot of a potential terrorist at the honor ceremony is done really well. With no one at HQ believing him he creates a team with his niece, her "new" boyfriend, Kelly, the respective elderly Uncle & Father and a couple of members of his team that can get leave to try to find The Merchant.
There are 3 relationships being developed in the book in addition to the suspense plot, Tom and Kelly, a past romance for Charles and Joe and then a very cute romance between Tom's niece and her boyfriend. It's not always easy to weave past and present and multiple plot lines but Ms. Brockmann does it seamlessly. I love the way she wove the historical WWII events of Joe, Charles and Cybele and I loved the character development of Joe and Charles. This was all so well done and pulled me into the past story as well as kept me grounded into the current story.
Tom and Kelly's relationship felt very real. A few ups and downs that felt like how real people react to each other even when they care. There is definitely some truth and realism that when you attempt to protect your heart from getting broke, you can lose out on what your heart desires most.
"He'd been guilty of doing the one thing he'd hated most when it was done to him. He hadn't looked beyond neat labels and obvious appearances to the real person below." (Tom when thinking of Kelly. Page 255)
One of the appealing aspects of this book is that the men were honorable. It seems like there are so many books lately that keep trying to make the Alpha Jerk a desirable character, but that is NOT who I want for a book boyfriend. Yeah, the men in this book may make a mistake or they may try to protect their heart, but they know how to treat the woman they love.
September 1, 2017
4.5 Heartbreaking stars
Buddy read with the lovely Geishas
“You can’t choose who you love, Kelly, but you can waste it. Why on earth would anyone want to waste it?”
Fifty-six years ago Charles Ashton and Joe Paoletti both fought in the Second World War, they fell in love with the same woman, Cybele Desjardins, although only one of them had her love in return and both learned the true devastation of loss. They became best friend over the years, an unlikely friendship between the wealthy, jaded Charles and the poor, good-hearted Joe who became his gardener and once again loss has come knocking on their doors when Charles has only a few months left to live after being diagnosed with cancer.
Dr. Kelly Ashton has returned to care for her father, the father she always desperately wanted love and approval from but instead she received coldness and a father who was more drunk than sober. But things get more bearable when Navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti, Joe’s nephew, is forced to return to his hometown on medical leave after a near-fatal head injury. Sixteen years ago the infatuation between them almost became more, but Tom left before anything could happen. Now fate has given them a second chance at happiness.
Yes, it was Joe’s story, but it was his story, too. It was his life, his secrets, his failures.
His grief.
Nearly sixty years of running from himself, from all his pain, all his heartache, and here he was. Still here.
Still aching.
I know the blurb says that this book is about Tom and Kelly but for me it really was about Charles, Joe, their heartbreaking past and the true hero back then when they fought the war. Like most wars, the ones that risked and suffered the most, their stories remained untold and when Joe decided to tell the true story of what happened back then, it opened so much pain for him but also for Charles, who had been keeping his shattered heart hidden by drinking to forget all the memories of Cybele.
“I tried so hard to do the right thing, to stay away from her, but in the end I failed. I gave in, and do you know, I would’ve sold my soul to the devil to be free to love her, to spend my life with her. I loved her that much. It was that strong, that powerful.”
My heart just hurt for Joe and especially for Charles and the devastating loss they had suffered during the war.
“I want what I can’t have.”
“Fifty-six years, and still, all I want is to have her back.”
I can’t remember the last time I cried so much during a book and I think the author did a brilliant job at showing the harshness and the painful and beautiful emotions they had all experienced back then and now. And knowing that Joe was once again losing someone he loved, Charles, just made the sadness so much worse.
He was romantic. David of the funny hair and awful plaid shirts was the most romantic man Mallory had ever met in her life.
Luckily the author added some much needed lightness with the blossoming young love between feisty Mallory Paoletti, Tom’s niece and the geeky David Sullivan. These two were so utterly adorable and I loved every moment of them.
I have to admit that I really didn’t care about Tom and Kelly. Their romance and interactions paled so much in comparison to all the depth and feeling the other characters evoked, that they felt like background noise to me.
This was my first book by this author and I’m blown away by how deeply she made me feel with this book, how much she made me cry. I definitely would recommend reading this book if you want to read a touching book about true love, how impossible it is to choose whom you love and the happiness and devastation it can bring. But be sure to keep some tissues close.
Originally read September 2014
What an emotional read. I went from laughing, to intrigue, to sadness, to happy and to heart-breaking. This was an amazing read, and strangely although the lead characters were great, it was the supporting cast and their stories who had me riveted.
May 17, 2011
4 ½ stars. I must confess I liked it more that some people did. The flashback story to WWII didn’t bother me at all; in fact, I loved it! Go figure. I did expect a little more…of a climatic culmination at the end, but it was still very good. The love stories were excellent.
April 3, 2022
The Unsung Hero is what military romance done right. The story is not inly focusing on Tom and Kelly, but 3 generation of love. Miss Brockmann gives each of her characters life and solid character development.
The plot coming together very nicely. The chemistry between Tom and Kelly not only hot but also tender. I like when the hero becomes the weak one in the romance. Tom is not just brave, he is also tender and vulnerable when it comes to feeling.
Overall a very good story.
4 stars
The plot coming together very nicely. The chemistry between Tom and Kelly not only hot but also tender. I like when the hero becomes the weak one in the romance. Tom is not just brave, he is also tender and vulnerable when it comes to feeling.
Overall a very good story.
4 stars
February 4, 2009
Okay, I finished the book last night at about 10:30!
I loved this book after about page 150. I was a little slow at first. That may be b/c I have been reading a lot of Lora Leigh, girl doesn't waste any time, if ya know what I mean!
Very few books make me cry, but this one did. I love a book that stays with you for a while after you finish. Unsung Hero has managed to do just that! I cannot wait to get into the rest of the series.
Tom is a very likable hero with flaws. Kelly is a great character, who has been holding a torch for Tom for 16 years. When they finally manage to hook back up after 16 years, the tables are turned and Kelly comes across as only interested in the sex. The scenes were these two rediscover each other are very sensual and touching.
Brockmann manages to keep three story lines going at one time, two in present day and one flash back to WWII. I had a bit of trouble with this at first, but as the stories progress, I found all story lines very written.
I loved this book after about page 150. I was a little slow at first. That may be b/c I have been reading a lot of Lora Leigh, girl doesn't waste any time, if ya know what I mean!
Very few books make me cry, but this one did. I love a book that stays with you for a while after you finish. Unsung Hero has managed to do just that! I cannot wait to get into the rest of the series.
Tom is a very likable hero with flaws. Kelly is a great character, who has been holding a torch for Tom for 16 years. When they finally manage to hook back up after 16 years, the tables are turned and Kelly comes across as only interested in the sex. The scenes were these two rediscover each other are very sensual and touching.
Brockmann manages to keep three story lines going at one time, two in present day and one flash back to WWII. I had a bit of trouble with this at first, but as the stories progress, I found all story lines very written.
July 25, 2017
4.5 "The Ultimate Sacrifice for Love" Stars for the story and 3.5 Stars for William Dufris narration.
This one started pretty slow for me with three interconnecting stories, including three love stories. If you hang in there though, you will be treated to one action packed, tear inducing of an end. I also enjoyed all three love stories, but my favorite was the tragic but emotional love triangle that takes place in the past during World War II. So glad I hung in there and persevered to listen to the debut that started this long running series.
William Dufris narration definitely had some overacting and non-genuine sounding female voices, thus I can imagine that Patrick Lawlor's and Melanie Ewbank's later produced narration is likely the way to go with this classic. Nonetheless I was able to finish the book, and some of the parts, particularly those of the older version of Charles who is dying and has an almost lack of air quality to his sound would likely be difficult for any narrator to reproduce.
Source: Library-loan.
This one started pretty slow for me with three interconnecting stories, including three love stories. If you hang in there though, you will be treated to one action packed, tear inducing of an end. I also enjoyed all three love stories, but my favorite was the tragic but emotional love triangle that takes place in the past during World War II. So glad I hung in there and persevered to listen to the debut that started this long running series.
William Dufris narration definitely had some overacting and non-genuine sounding female voices, thus I can imagine that Patrick Lawlor's and Melanie Ewbank's later produced narration is likely the way to go with this classic. Nonetheless I was able to finish the book, and some of the parts, particularly those of the older version of Charles who is dying and has an almost lack of air quality to his sound would likely be difficult for any narrator to reproduce.
Source: Library-loan.
August 22, 2018
A perfectly fine story marred by straight sex.
The writing is superior. The characters seem fleshed out enough to me, the main ones anyway, but in the end I can't say I cared all that much for the entire experience. I had to skip the entirety of the Mallory/David storyline because I don't like teenagers and I'm especially prejudiced against straight ones.
I won't pursue the series but only because I don't ever want to read about men sexing up women. Too depressing.
The writing is superior. The characters seem fleshed out enough to me, the main ones anyway, but in the end I can't say I cared all that much for the entire experience. I had to skip the entirety of the Mallory/David storyline because I don't like teenagers and I'm especially prejudiced against straight ones.
I won't pursue the series but only because I don't ever want to read about men sexing up women. Too depressing.
November 24, 2009
This is a weak 4 stars for me because I was expecting better, but from what I’ve heard about the Troubleshooters series it’s the following books that tend to be the best. There’s nothing “wrong” with this story it’s just that it’s nearly all very predictable and the main hero wasn’t as “Navy SEAL” as alphas usually are. He’s much more vulnerable and not as strong as I’d have liked.
There are three stories within this novel and that was very confusing and annoying until just over halfway. There’s the main story between almost high school sweethearts Tom and Kelly hoping to rekindle the flame, then there’s the WWII pseudo love-triangle story told as memories in bits and pieces between Kelly’s dad Charles, Tom’s dad Joe and the French resistance leader Cybele and finally the creepy story between Tom’s niece Mallory and odd ball David. When you’re given all these characters from the start it’s information overload and hard to keep track of everyone, but rest assured they all tie in together by the end and you know who’s who.
The primary story between Tom and Kelly which I was the most interested in at the beginning became the most predictable at the end and had that “aw shucks” vibe that just bugs me in a novel. Tom’s on convalescent leave and he thinks he sees a terrorist known as The Merchant during his stay with his dad. This is a minor part of the story which was good seeing as sometimes Romantic Suspense tends to focus too much on the suspense and little on the romance. Tom and Kelly were back and forth too much with I want her/does she want me and vice versa. It got to be too repetitive and towards the middle their story was dead in the water because nothing was happening apart from the does (s)he/doesn’t (s)he. Once something does happen it just felt like it was too late and even when there was the moment of “miscommunication” and sparks start to fly in the heat department it was a bit flat.
The story I was most interested in was the WWII story because it’s told in such a way that leaves you wondering who got the girl. Near the end though I didn’t really like the outcome because the “Great Love” didn’t make much sense. The story I liked the least from the beginning about Mallory and very weird David I thought was just filler but Brockmann did an excellent job of throwing me for a huge loop and that’s why I gave the book a four because I didn’t see any of that coming which shows she has some unique talent as a writer.
Usually with Navy SEALS stories you have the other members of the team who make an appearance at some point and the same happened here. I was most interested in Alyssa and Sam’s story which comes in a much later book it seems. The team members weren’t filler and did what they had to do without taking away from the various love stories.
The ending unfortunately had hokey stamped all over it but overall I’m still keen on giving the series another shot if only to get that “you’ve got to be kidding me” element of surprise again. Here’s hoping that the others aren’t as predictable.
There are three stories within this novel and that was very confusing and annoying until just over halfway. There’s the main story between almost high school sweethearts Tom and Kelly hoping to rekindle the flame, then there’s the WWII pseudo love-triangle story told as memories in bits and pieces between Kelly’s dad Charles, Tom’s dad Joe and the French resistance leader Cybele and finally the creepy story between Tom’s niece Mallory and odd ball David. When you’re given all these characters from the start it’s information overload and hard to keep track of everyone, but rest assured they all tie in together by the end and you know who’s who.
The primary story between Tom and Kelly which I was the most interested in at the beginning became the most predictable at the end and had that “aw shucks” vibe that just bugs me in a novel. Tom’s on convalescent leave and he thinks he sees a terrorist known as The Merchant during his stay with his dad. This is a minor part of the story which was good seeing as sometimes Romantic Suspense tends to focus too much on the suspense and little on the romance. Tom and Kelly were back and forth too much with I want her/does she want me and vice versa. It got to be too repetitive and towards the middle their story was dead in the water because nothing was happening apart from the does (s)he/doesn’t (s)he. Once something does happen it just felt like it was too late and even when there was the moment of “miscommunication” and sparks start to fly in the heat department it was a bit flat.
The story I was most interested in was the WWII story because it’s told in such a way that leaves you wondering who got the girl. Near the end though I didn’t really like the outcome because the “Great Love” didn’t make much sense. The story I liked the least from the beginning about Mallory and very weird David I thought was just filler but Brockmann did an excellent job of throwing me for a huge loop and that’s why I gave the book a four because I didn’t see any of that coming which shows she has some unique talent as a writer.
Usually with Navy SEALS stories you have the other members of the team who make an appearance at some point and the same happened here. I was most interested in Alyssa and Sam’s story which comes in a much later book it seems. The team members weren’t filler and did what they had to do without taking away from the various love stories.
The ending unfortunately had hokey stamped all over it but overall I’m still keen on giving the series another shot if only to get that “you’ve got to be kidding me” element of surprise again. Here’s hoping that the others aren’t as predictable.
June 13, 2014
Right, I’m going to be upfront and admit that I might have hate-read this, in which case I deserved every bit of readerly suffering I got. Well, I didn’t hate-read it, obviously, because I thought I’d like it before starting, but hate-finished sounds a bit odd.
I’m uncertain about whether to start with why I kept reading (the rational part) or why I hated it, but I think the former is probably preferable. Also shorter! Mostly I kept reading out of fascination for the suspense story-line, after this:
The story of Tom, the bestest Navy SEAL guy, whose psych evals haven’t been peachy after he received a brain injury, and his determination to trust his ability to recognise this terrorist, was the only thing in the whole book I liked. And I did like it - both the thriller aspect, and the decency of this guy’s refusal to give up and let his superiors convince him that it’s just his paranoia making him think he saw the terrorist, despite the serious risk to his future in the Navy. What I didn’t like was the way the story got buried in not one, and not even two, but three romances that I hated. That’s a lot of material with which to bury the story right there.
Romance number one was the main one, between Tom and his never-forgotten love/crush/sexual goddess of his dreams/whathaveyou, Kelly. She was just 15 and he had graduated high school, about to head off for the Navy, when he barely escaped her extremely obvious interest and did the Honorable Thing. As well as being just 15, her father was also the employer/best friend (I’m coming back to that!) of his great-uncle (and only responsible parent figure he had, with whom he lived). So, her father (Charles) = massively wealthy, son-of-a-bitch drunk, while his uncle (Joe) = lifelong good guy and gardener for Charles. Not my idea of how best friendship looks, but then a lot of things in this book don’t look the way I think they should. Anyway, Kelly’s been married and divorced (never having gotten over her feelings for Tom, really - and BTW, might I just add that simply because the female is the Peeping Tom doesn’t make it a bit less intrusive and creepy), and is a doctor. Oh, of course, she’s been taught to bottle up her emotions by her classic Old Money New Englander father, and that might have had something to do with the failure of her marriage too. But, I could probably have got over all of the weirdness, if this had been a story of two people who weren’t at the right age or stage of life to be together and now have a second chance. I like that story. Unfortunately, a few things killed any liking I might have had for this one; the first being the fact that it relied on the two being UTTERLY UNABLE to resist each other, NO MATTER WHAT. That meant they stayed in (obviously close) physical proximity just for the sex until they could get over their problems. Don’t find this sexy or romantic or anyway appealing. Especially as it seemed that Kelly mostly had to realise that she could be a bad, wanton hussy all she wanted with Tom, and actually doing it in a real relationship with him didn’t make her a Good Girl again. (Seriously.) Unfortunately for any last shreds of patience I might have had, her desperate desire not to be a Good Girl seemed to be all about The World knowing her good-girl image was wrong. Including, “I want to go down on you at the movie theater” and “I want to do it everywhere -- in the closet of the guest room at a party…” All of which made me very cranky on the part of cinema patrons who just wanted to go to a film and any poor hosts who unwittingly invite them to a party.
That’s that pair. The WW2 story - or triangle - involved Joe, Charles and the most cardboard-cutout sexy-but-tragic French Resistance woman ever, and my *least* favourite trope ever, namely (beautiful/desirable) women ALWAYS fall for the charming devil rather than the good guy. (As a complete aside, the girls told me about the Nice Guy trope just after I’d read this and I was intensely worried for all of about 10 seconds until they explained that the Nice Guy trope/meme is not the same thing as an actual nice guy. Fascinating stuff, and they’re very good at keeping me up to date with this kind of thing!) Here’s a little quote that kind of sums it up:
NO. (His drinking, cruel and verbally abusive days weren’t long behind him btw - not long at all.)
Third relationship was almost appealing in comparison to these two, but it wasn’t even remotely credible. And also more than a bit nasty, for various reasons. (Muses, maybe, but he keeps calling her by the name of the comic book character he draws using her as the model, even when telling her he loves her. Naaaahh.) And then he lost more points by this: “He truly didn’t want to hurt her, but the idea that he was the first -- ever, only, because there was only one first time -- was a total turn-on.” I keep thinking of 10 Things I Hate about You recently, and what came immediately to mind was a modified quote and “There has been NO PLOWING”.
So, not a win for me. (Ya think??) It’s a very battered pb and I used it for the abusive-reading-relationship times only - i.e., while brushing teeth, so it was spread out over a very long period, which probably helped me finish. It wasn’t all hate, either, although it was perfectly obvious from the beginning that Tom was competent and had recognised the bad guy and was going to save Massachusetts from a very serious terrorist incident. Still a decent enough suspense story there. Pity about the romance.
I’m uncertain about whether to start with why I kept reading (the rational part) or why I hated it, but I think the former is probably preferable. Also shorter! Mostly I kept reading out of fascination for the suspense story-line, after this:
Yeah, it was going to sound frigging crazy when he tried to explain. "Hi. I think I just saw the international terrorist that I spent four months tracking in ‘96 taking a cab out of Logan Airport. Yeah, that’s in Boston, Massachusetts, that teeming hotbed of international intrigue." Yeah, right.Book was published, as I obviously immediately checked, in 2000. I almost wondered if the author had had any uncomfortable talks with Homeland Security for it, but one hopes not.
The story of Tom, the bestest Navy SEAL guy, whose psych evals haven’t been peachy after he received a brain injury, and his determination to trust his ability to recognise this terrorist, was the only thing in the whole book I liked. And I did like it - both the thriller aspect, and the decency of this guy’s refusal to give up and let his superiors convince him that it’s just his paranoia making him think he saw the terrorist, despite the serious risk to his future in the Navy. What I didn’t like was the way the story got buried in not one, and not even two, but three romances that I hated. That’s a lot of material with which to bury the story right there.
Romance number one was the main one, between Tom and his never-forgotten love/crush/sexual goddess of his dreams/whathaveyou, Kelly. She was just 15 and he had graduated high school, about to head off for the Navy, when he barely escaped her extremely obvious interest and did the Honorable Thing. As well as being just 15, her father was also the employer/best friend (I’m coming back to that!) of his great-uncle (and only responsible parent figure he had, with whom he lived). So, her father (Charles) = massively wealthy, son-of-a-bitch drunk, while his uncle (Joe) = lifelong good guy and gardener for Charles. Not my idea of how best friendship looks, but then a lot of things in this book don’t look the way I think they should. Anyway, Kelly’s been married and divorced (never having gotten over her feelings for Tom, really - and BTW, might I just add that simply because the female is the Peeping Tom doesn’t make it a bit less intrusive and creepy), and is a doctor. Oh, of course, she’s been taught to bottle up her emotions by her classic Old Money New Englander father, and that might have had something to do with the failure of her marriage too. But, I could probably have got over all of the weirdness, if this had been a story of two people who weren’t at the right age or stage of life to be together and now have a second chance. I like that story. Unfortunately, a few things killed any liking I might have had for this one; the first being the fact that it relied on the two being UTTERLY UNABLE to resist each other, NO MATTER WHAT. That meant they stayed in (obviously close) physical proximity just for the sex until they could get over their problems. Don’t find this sexy or romantic or anyway appealing. Especially as it seemed that Kelly mostly had to realise that she could be a bad, wanton hussy all she wanted with Tom, and actually doing it in a real relationship with him didn’t make her a Good Girl again. (Seriously.) Unfortunately for any last shreds of patience I might have had, her desperate desire not to be a Good Girl seemed to be all about The World knowing her good-girl image was wrong. Including, “I want to go down on you at the movie theater” and “I want to do it everywhere -- in the closet of the guest room at a party…” All of which made me very cranky on the part of cinema patrons who just wanted to go to a film and any poor hosts who unwittingly invite them to a party.
That’s that pair. The WW2 story - or triangle - involved Joe, Charles and the most cardboard-cutout sexy-but-tragic French Resistance woman ever, and my *least* favourite trope ever, namely (beautiful/desirable) women ALWAYS fall for the charming devil rather than the good guy. (As a complete aside, the girls told me about the Nice Guy trope just after I’d read this and I was intensely worried for all of about 10 seconds until they explained that the Nice Guy trope/meme is not the same thing as an actual nice guy. Fascinating stuff, and they’re very good at keeping me up to date with this kind of thing!) Here’s a little quote that kind of sums it up:
Joe had been a good-looking man, too, but Charles had had a magical air about him. He still had it, even at eighty. Even back when he was drinking and at his most cruel and verbally abusive, even then, the spark didn’t quite go out.
NO. (His drinking, cruel and verbally abusive days weren’t long behind him btw - not long at all.)
Third relationship was almost appealing in comparison to these two, but it wasn’t even remotely credible. And also more than a bit nasty, for various reasons. (Muses, maybe, but he keeps calling her by the name of the comic book character he draws using her as the model, even when telling her he loves her. Naaaahh.) And then he lost more points by this: “He truly didn’t want to hurt her, but the idea that he was the first -- ever, only, because there was only one first time -- was a total turn-on.” I keep thinking of 10 Things I Hate about You recently, and what came immediately to mind was a modified quote and “There has been NO PLOWING”.
So, not a win for me. (Ya think??) It’s a very battered pb and I used it for the abusive-reading-relationship times only - i.e., while brushing teeth, so it was spread out over a very long period, which probably helped me finish. It wasn’t all hate, either, although it was perfectly obvious from the beginning that Tom was competent and had recognised the bad guy and was going to save Massachusetts from a very serious terrorist incident. Still a decent enough suspense story there. Pity about the romance.
September 14, 2016
This is a book, I only picked up because I read so many great things about it around Goodreads. And I'm so glad I did, because I loved it!
In "The Unsung Hero" you get pretty much three romances in the one book, that are all connected by an overall storyline.
The main romance is between Tom, a Navy SEAL lieutenant, who is visiting his hometown after an injury, and Kelly, a paediatrician. They pretty much grew up with each other and both had a massive crush on the other one but nothing ever really happened between them. They haven't seen each other for sixteen years now and realize soon that the old feelings are still there, but both have some issues to work through before they can admit to them.
Besides recovering from his head injury and coming to grips with his feelings for Kelly, Tom also realizes that a terrorist attack on the small town is imminent and does everything in his power to stop it.
Another arc in the story deals with Charles and Joe, the father and uncle of Kelly and Tom, who are friends since they met during the war in France. We get to find out what happened all those years ago and their story, past and present, made me shed a few tears.
The third romance is between Mallory, Toms niece, and David and I loved every minute of it. They were just so sweet and adorable together.
I really enjoyed this book, but I have to admit that the main romance was the one I was the least interested in. It was still a lovely story, but I enjoyed the WW2 plot and Mallory and David a lot more.
In "The Unsung Hero" you get pretty much three romances in the one book, that are all connected by an overall storyline.
The main romance is between Tom, a Navy SEAL lieutenant, who is visiting his hometown after an injury, and Kelly, a paediatrician. They pretty much grew up with each other and both had a massive crush on the other one but nothing ever really happened between them. They haven't seen each other for sixteen years now and realize soon that the old feelings are still there, but both have some issues to work through before they can admit to them.
Besides recovering from his head injury and coming to grips with his feelings for Kelly, Tom also realizes that a terrorist attack on the small town is imminent and does everything in his power to stop it.
Another arc in the story deals with Charles and Joe, the father and uncle of Kelly and Tom, who are friends since they met during the war in France. We get to find out what happened all those years ago and their story, past and present, made me shed a few tears.
The third romance is between Mallory, Toms niece, and David and I loved every minute of it. They were just so sweet and adorable together.
I really enjoyed this book, but I have to admit that the main romance was the one I was the least interested in. It was still a lovely story, but I enjoyed the WW2 plot and Mallory and David a lot more.
February 8, 2017
This was pretty good but a little slow. I also didn't buy the past history. She was just a kid when they knew each other before so this was insta-love for me. BUT.....and this is a big but......I was SO happy to see a good heroine. This is the kind of woman I want to read about in my books. In her 30's, has a career, NOT a virgin, communicates like an adult, asks for what she wants, treats people nicely...doesn't have to act like a b*tch to prove how "bad assed" she is, doesn't run off doing TSTL things. I will totally read the next in the series at some point just because I feel like I'm in a desert, starving for water when it comes to finding decent heroines in romance novels.
(Even the teenage girl who was having a first love/relationship was better than most heroines in current CR. Such a nice change.)
(Even the teenage girl who was having a first love/relationship was better than most heroines in current CR. Such a nice change.)
July 21, 2022
Tom Paoletti and Kelly.
Nice WWII back story, along with the present day romance and drama.
Nice WWII back story, along with the present day romance and drama.
June 16, 2019
This is my 2nd time reading/listening to this book, and I still love it! I think I've grown to love Tom even more, and although I like Kelly, I'm not entirely convinced she deserves him! There's actually three love stories involved, Tom and Kelly are the main couple. Tom's niece Mallory falls in love as well, with geeky but adorable David. And then the historical romance, something Brockmann is well known for putting in her books.
This time it's a three way between Tom's Uncle Joe, Kelly's dad Charles, and the woman they both love but neither could have, Cybele. This is a heart wrenching part of the story, Joe, the ultimate nice guy is in love with Cybele, fighting alongside her for years during WWII in France with the Resistance. Cybele, a young widow already wants nothing to do with love, only to kill Nazis. But then they rescue a wounded Charles Ashton, and it's love at first sight Cybele and Charles. Except Charles is already married and fast becoming friends with Joe. It's the one secret they have between them, and in all their years as friends, 65 to be exact, they never speak of it until Charles learns he's dying. I wanted to cry for them all, Cybele for being so young and already losing her husband and baby to the Nazis is determined not to be vulnerable again. Joe, ah, Joe! Joe has never gotten over Cybele, never married. And Charles wanted to love Cybele, but in 1942, divorcing the wife you just married because you got her pregnant wasn't the thing to do.
Then you have Tom and Kelly. Kelly has pined for Tom for years, but when Tom finally realizes he's in love with her, he's afraid he's going crazy too, from seeing a terrorist every one thinks is dead. This weighs on him heavily, and seeing him be so vulnerable and open made me just fall harder for him. Kelly is too afraid of love, and I don't feel she has that good of a reason. Yes, Charles is not a very affectionate father, but neither was he abusive. I guess we are to believe neglect is the main fear, but I just don't see it. Ultimately Kelly admits to loving him, but their relationship doesn't seem settled yet, and I know from reading the rest of the series, it's not settled until book 2 or 3, not sure.
Mallory and David are cute, but their romance happens a little fast, and reading about an 18-year old girl lose her virginity to a 20-year old guy, when she's not even told him she's still a virgin is a little creepy for me. He's great with her, but the fact it wasn't discussed prior bothered me. Of course, just like David, we were to assume by Mallory's reputation and attitude she wasn't one, but I still think the conversation taking place just before sex would have made it a little less weird.
We get introduced to Sam/Roger/Houston/Ringo Starett and Alyssa Locke! Their romance is so great because we get to see it develop over several books!!! Usually we get the back story within the romance, but here we get to see it all happen, over several years! It's a bit angsty in parts, but when they finally get together it's book magic!! Plus Alyssa is not your typical white girl heroine, something I wish a lot more authors did, or in reality, a lot more publishers/readers would embrace! No, Alyssa is described as somewhat of a Vanessa Williams type, but better! The fact that her and Sam hate each other when we first meet them, well, that makes it all the better for later! We also meet Jazz, who still hasn't had a book in the 16 book series yet! I can't wait for that!
If you like the military heroes (and heroines, Alyssa is an LT in the Navy!), the suspense and great characters, you can't go wrong with this series!
This time it's a three way between Tom's Uncle Joe, Kelly's dad Charles, and the woman they both love but neither could have, Cybele. This is a heart wrenching part of the story, Joe, the ultimate nice guy is in love with Cybele, fighting alongside her for years during WWII in France with the Resistance. Cybele, a young widow already wants nothing to do with love, only to kill Nazis. But then they rescue a wounded Charles Ashton, and it's love at first sight Cybele and Charles. Except Charles is already married and fast becoming friends with Joe. It's the one secret they have between them, and in all their years as friends, 65 to be exact, they never speak of it until Charles learns he's dying. I wanted to cry for them all, Cybele for being so young and already losing her husband and baby to the Nazis is determined not to be vulnerable again. Joe, ah, Joe! Joe has never gotten over Cybele, never married. And Charles wanted to love Cybele, but in 1942, divorcing the wife you just married because you got her pregnant wasn't the thing to do.
Then you have Tom and Kelly. Kelly has pined for Tom for years, but when Tom finally realizes he's in love with her, he's afraid he's going crazy too, from seeing a terrorist every one thinks is dead. This weighs on him heavily, and seeing him be so vulnerable and open made me just fall harder for him. Kelly is too afraid of love, and I don't feel she has that good of a reason. Yes, Charles is not a very affectionate father, but neither was he abusive. I guess we are to believe neglect is the main fear, but I just don't see it. Ultimately Kelly admits to loving him, but their relationship doesn't seem settled yet, and I know from reading the rest of the series, it's not settled until book 2 or 3, not sure.
Mallory and David are cute, but their romance happens a little fast, and reading about an 18-year old girl lose her virginity to a 20-year old guy, when she's not even told him she's still a virgin is a little creepy for me. He's great with her, but the fact it wasn't discussed prior bothered me. Of course, just like David, we were to assume by Mallory's reputation and attitude she wasn't one, but I still think the conversation taking place just before sex would have made it a little less weird.
We get introduced to Sam/Roger/Houston/Ringo Starett and Alyssa Locke! Their romance is so great because we get to see it develop over several books!!! Usually we get the back story within the romance, but here we get to see it all happen, over several years! It's a bit angsty in parts, but when they finally get together it's book magic!! Plus Alyssa is not your typical white girl heroine, something I wish a lot more authors did, or in reality, a lot more publishers/readers would embrace! No, Alyssa is described as somewhat of a Vanessa Williams type, but better! The fact that her and Sam hate each other when we first meet them, well, that makes it all the better for later! We also meet Jazz, who still hasn't had a book in the 16 book series yet! I can't wait for that!
If you like the military heroes (and heroines, Alyssa is an LT in the Navy!), the suspense and great characters, you can't go wrong with this series!
November 3, 2018
I have loved this series since I first discovered it. I can't recall what book I read first but I can tell you I have read them all more than once. It is thanks to this series that I was introduced to MM romance. Yep, Brockmann created a gay FBI agent who has on page romance and they are the reason I am an MM fanatic.
As for Unsung Hero, Kelly and Tom are very good together and they are the MCs, but we also get Maddy and Kevin, and historical romance of Charles who fell in love with a French woman in ww2, and so did Joe. That triangle was just as interesting as the present day action.
If you have never read brockmann before, or never read this series, I highly recommend. The writing is amazing and you won't be disappointed in the action or execution.
The narration was AWESOME!! I don't think I've heard him before but I want to. He doesn't narrate the rest of the books, which shame, but I will be looking at his other books. Great job!!
5 stars all the way and I can't wait to go to book 2.
As for Unsung Hero, Kelly and Tom are very good together and they are the MCs, but we also get Maddy and Kevin, and historical romance of Charles who fell in love with a French woman in ww2, and so did Joe. That triangle was just as interesting as the present day action.
If you have never read brockmann before, or never read this series, I highly recommend. The writing is amazing and you won't be disappointed in the action or execution.
The narration was AWESOME!! I don't think I've heard him before but I want to. He doesn't narrate the rest of the books, which shame, but I will be looking at his other books. Great job!!
5 stars all the way and I can't wait to go to book 2.
January 28, 2010
I almost want to shake myself for waiting so long to start this series. Fantastic story and can't wait to start the next book. I almost wish i can call in sick to work and just continue reading, but at least i'll be able to pick up the rest of the books i don't have at my bookstore today.
June 16, 2019
Whoa. Really involved subplots and three to four to boot. Which made up for the somewhat lackluster Central romance. Still, perfectly enjoyable and fine
March 12, 2017
My 3 stars are all for David and Mallory. I loved their story. The rest? Blah. I would actually get annoyed when David and Mallory's story would stop and one of the other stories would continue. Tom and Kelly? Didn't care. Joe and Charles? Didn't care.
October 25, 2022
i’m in tears right now what the fuck.
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