The Soul of a SEAL

Terrific book that sucked me in from the first chapter and didn’t let go until the end. I’ve been a fan of the author since I read SEAL at Heart, and this was my favorite book so far. I loved the blend of romance, action, intrigue, and suspense. Another big plus was the space theme and the SEAL history that went with it.

Dr. Kimberly Warren, a brilliant engineer, and designer of the Warren Shuttle, has a problem. Trouble plagues her top-secret space mission, from technical issues to several scientists and two Navy SEAL astronaut candidates’ deaths. A high-ranking Navy official and family friend promises to get her some help.

Sent in as astronaut candidates, Captain Bennett Sheraton and his teammate, Jonah Melo, also have the hidden agenda of searching for solutions to the program’s issues and finding out who murdered their SEAL brothers and the other scientists.

First up is the romance. The sparks between Bennett and Kimberly were evident from the moment they met. Usually focused almost exclusively on work, Kimberly’s reaction to Bennett surprises her. Bennett initially looks at his reaction to Kimberly as a distraction he doesn’t need. But those sparks soon grow too strong to ignore. I liked that both Kimberly and Bennett are mature adults (he’s 40, she’s in her 30s), tops in their fields, with terrific senses of humor. Once Kimberly and Bennett make up their minds to pursue the connection between them, they are all in. They don’t play games with each other’s emotions, and when an issue crops up, they talk about it. They work hard to prevent their romance from interfering with their work yet still manage to carve out time to be together. Kimberly also takes care to show no favoritism to Bennett when picking a pilot for the shuttle – perhaps going a little too far in the other direction. Each is protective of the other, with good reason, as the launch grows closer. There are some tense moments during the space mission, and both realize that they want a future together. Bennett’s post-mission recovery created some interesting challenges for the couple. The ending was fantastic, especially the trip to DC.

Next up is the intrigue. The mission brings together scientists and candidates from all over the world along with their accompanying rivalries. Kimberly continually has to play referee and deal with a project director, Kess, who seems intent on usurping all of her power. As Bennett and Melo dig into the program’s problems, they discover a variety of issues. I loved their teamwork as they put their problem-solving skills to work. The tension ramped up as both Bennett and Melo witnessed some troubling interactions among two candidates and became increasingly suspicious of Kess and his intentions. The discovery of another dead candidate answered some questions, while an unexpected twist with Kess answered others. However, that isn’t the end, and Bennett and Kimberly must remain vigilant.

Last is the suspense that builds from the moment Bennett arrives until the shuttle is safely back on earth. This was my favorite part, as I thoroughly enjoyed all of the little details about the process. From the start, there is the whole question of whether everything would be done in time to make the launch window. I could feel the tension as the engineers stressed over the software/hardware issues. Though there wasn’t truly any question about who would be chosen as the pilot, there was enough competition to add to Bennett’s stress. As an added complication, Kimberly was systematically pushed further out of the loop of the mission. As the launch got closer, I had the feeling that there was trouble yet to come. After the launch, I was glued to the pages as Bennett conquered one hurdle after another. The comet part was a nail-biter, as was its effect on the rest of the mission. I understood Kimberly’s fury with the powers-that-be and loved seeing her take matters into her own hands with Melo’s help. The landing had me on the edge of my seat until it was over and Bennett was safe.

One of my favorite secondary “characters” was Sally, Kimberly’s computer system. There were times she seemed almost human. Though I was a bit confused about how she could be all-seeing at times, yet didn’t know who committed the murders. I didn’t let it bother me too much, preferring to enjoy what she did do. I also liked Sally’s counterpart, Sully, the shuttle’s onboard computer system. I loved how Sully got his name and Bennett’s enjoyment when he figured it out.