BOOK REVIEW ~ DO OR DIE BY SUZANNE BROCKMANN

Title: Do Or Die (Reluctant Heroes, Book One)
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
eBook, 576 pages


ARC provided by NetGalley

Book Blurb

Navy SEAL Ian Dunn went rogue in a big way when he turned his talents to a lawless life of jewel heists and con jobs. Or so the world has been led to believe. In reality, the former Special Ops warrior is still fighting for good, leading a small band of freelance covert operatives who take care of high-stakes business in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the hands-down choice when the U.S. government must breach a heavily guarded embassy and rescue a pair of children kidnapped by their own father, a sinister foreign national willing to turn his own kids into casualties. Shockingly, Ian passes on the mission... for reasons he will not–or cannot–reveal.

But saying no is not an option. Especially not to Phoebe Kruger, Ian’s bespectacled, beautiful, and unexpectedly brash new attorney. Determined to see the abducted children set free, she not only gets Ian on board but insists on riding shotgun on his Mission: Impossible-style operation, whether he likes it or not.

Though Phoebe has a valuable knack for getting out of tight spots, there’s no denying the intensely intimate feelings growing between Ian and Phoebe as the team gears up for combat. But these are feelings they both must fight to control as they face an array of cold-blooded adversaries, including a vindictive mob boss who’s got Ian at the top of his hit list and a wealthy psychopath who loves murder as much as money. As they dodge death squads and play lethal games of deception, Ian and Phoebe will do whatever it takes to save the innocent and vanquish the guilty.

Or die trying.



Book Review

Anything Suzanne Brockmann writes, I will read. Period.

And when I found out she had a new series coming out that was loosely related to her Troubleshooters series, I did a little happy dance and couldn't stop grinning. 

Do Or Die jumps right into the thick of things. Ian Dunn, an ex-Navy SEAL, is in Istanbul, Turkey, on assignment with his team at the Kazbekistani embassy. When Ian decides at the last minute to switch things up, the mission quickly escalates to WTF proportions. Ian and his teammates barely escape and flee the country.

Fast forward to a state prison in Florida where Phoebe Krugar and Martell Griffin are sitting across from Ian Dunn, who has been incarcerated for a crime the reader isn't sure of at this point. But Phoebe has now been appointed Ian's lawyer after chaos strikes at the firm, and has come to offer Ian a deal that will release him from prison.

Except, Ian Dunn has no desire to leave the luxurious state facilities any time soon. In fact, his staying in prison is keeping his brother, Aaron alive. 

But Phoebe is just as determined to get Ian out. She needs him to save two children who have been kidnapped and are apparently being held hostage at the Kazbekistani consulate in Miami.

Martell has his own agenda, and despite Ian's adamant refusal to help, forges ahead and gets Ian released from prison. 

Thus starts the ticking clock when Ian drives away with Phoebe in her own car and heads off to make sure Aaron and his family are safe. 

Brockmann is a master (mistress?? LOL) at layering a story and revealing pertinent information as the story goes along. There are tons of surprises ahead as Ian, Phoebe, Martell, the FBI and a local Florida mob try to obtain their own agendas. And as the tension builds between all parties involved, the sexual tension between Ian and Phoebe threaten to detonate at any moment. 

Along the way, Brockmann laces her story with humor, romance, and flashbacks that make the story a highly entertaining read. And as always, Brockmann creates fascinating characters that stick with you long after you finish the page. I cannot wait to read more of this new series.