Full length novel. Can be read stand alone. First book in new series.
Special Operator Lucas Shipley thought his living arrangement was temporary, since getting booted from the house by his wife. He sleeps on a couch in the apartment with four other divorced Navy SEALs, thinking he’ll get the call to come home any day. He ignores the not-so-helpful advice his buddies are giving him about … about marriage, women and romance. Until he gets served with divorce papers.
Realtor Marcy Gelland is hired by Lucas’ soon-to-be ex-wife to liquidate all their real estate holdings and help her orchestrate a speedy departure from Lucas’ life. Based on what the hot-headed SEAL wife has told her, Marcy understands Lucas deserves every ounce of pain coming his way.
But when Marcy and Lucas are left alone together in a remote Northern California woods, they ignite a personal bonfire that threatens to burn down the whole forest. Marcy is forced to see she is wrong about Lucas.
Amidst the backdrop of hardened bachelor SEALs with their unsolicited, anti-long-term relationship advice, and a terrorist training camp operating nearby, Lucas must do what he’s always done: be the hero and save the day. But will it be in time to save Marcy?
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After Lucas Shipley is kicked out of his house he ends up crashing on the cash in an apartment shared by other divorced SEALS, perhaps not the best place to get advice on how he can convince his wife to allow him to come back home. Then to add insult to injury, his “soon-to-be” ex-wife (her decision) hires a realtor, Marcy Gelland to help liquidate all their joint holdings in an effort to speed up their road to divorce. Marcy does not realize that the “information” she was passed about Lucas from his “ex” wife is not correct. Sparks end up surfacing between the two and his SEAL training becomes necessary as they find themselves in danger. Great characters and great story!
I both read the ebook and listened to the Audiobook. I normally enjoy this author’s work, but this book was truly not anything like I’ve read of hers before. The only things similar was the mention of some of Team 3, and then scoping out the terrorist camp.
I felt like there were so many things not explained or left unfinished. I am still somewhat amazed at this book.
According to the description of Marley’s character, it was completely out of character for her to make that move with Lucas, especially after everything his soon to be ex-wife did and said. We won’t even get into her interactions with Lucas’ wife.
I don’t know why it was even mentioned that Connie and Lucas had children. Connie seemed to see them as a burden, and Lucas did not appear to have any involvement with them. She spent her time being bitter and angry, dragging the poor kids around, and he behaved like he had no kids at all and no thought regarding them in his future. I kept expecting to read that it was discovered they weren’t his kids at all.
Marley is told to be careful from not one, but TWO Navy SEALS, and what does she do but ignore their warnings. When her job is on the line, Marley is so determined to tell the truth (after Lucas warned her not to) because it goes against her character. But falling into instalove with a married man doesn’t go against her beliefs.
I initially disliked Lucas. Then he seemed to get better. Then he was an idiot again. Then he got better. As long as he was performing his job, he was ok.
Then there was a whole different storyline with this woman Donna. What purpose did it serve? The conversation she had with Lucas was like some kind code speak. What were we supposed to get out of it?
After everything that happened to Marley, there was no hesitation, no trauma, no residual effects for her to deal with from what I perceived to be a traumatic ordeal? She just moved right along with Lucas like none of the prior issues existed. Unreal!
Also, this was not a complete HEA, so it seemed like it was a minimum, a partial cliffhanger. At least the idiot woman realized there was one major obstacle in there way. There was no resolution in this book.
I could go on and on, but then I would have to do spoiler alerts and I have been disappointed enough by this book.
Lucas Shipley’s wife had kicked him out of the house so he was staying with some other SEALs until she let him come back. Thinking that was going to be any day now, he was shocked when he was served with divorce papers.
Connie, Lucas’ wife, was selling their 3 properties, using Marcy Gelland for the sales. Connie had told Marcy what a manipulator and seducer Lucas was so when Marcy went to appraise a remote cabin they own and found Lucas there, she soon saw he isn’t like that at all. Their chemistry is instant. While this was a very bad time for them to start a relationship, they spent the weekend together. Too bad Lucas is called in for a mission, ending their time together pretty fast.
I liked this story and found some things to very believable such as the terrorist plot but some things were not, like Lucas and Marcy’s instant relationship and them having sex right after she had been sexually abused. The terrorist plot on US soil was so realistically written that it made me realize that it could actually happen. It is a scary thought.
The beginning of this book didn’t give a very good impression of SEALs. The divorced men were sharing a house so we saw the personal side of them. They didn’t think much of women and had several children scattered around the world that they didn’t know or care about. It was hard to believe that these men could handle terrorist situations so well. Lucas was a good SEAL and knew what to do in life and death situations but he didn’t have a clue how to handle women problems. Or life problems in general. There was quite a range of characters in this story, like Lucas’ wife, Connie, who is a self-centered witch and not a good mother. Then there are the dedicated SEALS and good-hearted Marcy.
I really liked this author’s SEAL Brotherhood Series so I was looking forward to reading this. I like SEAL stories so; all in all, this should be great. Right? Well, it was good but not great.
If you like steamy romances with terrorist plots, you will like this story.