December 20, 2004
Known for her adrenaline-laced Navy SEAL romances, Brockmann displays a new, more political side in this brisk but bumpy romantic thriller, which advocates gay rights. Though the book follows the exploits of sexy, silent Cosmo Richter, the man of mystery from Brockmann's earlier romances (Gone Too Far
, etc.), Cosmo must share the limelight with Jules Cassidy, a gay FBI agent and also a recurring character in Brockmann's books. Both Cosmo and Jules are charged with safeguarding hot Hollywood producer Jane Chadwick, who has come under fire (literally) for making a movie dealing with two gay war heroes. A few contrived plot twists find Cosmo and Jane initially butting heads, then coming together as friends and finally burning up the sheets as lovers. More compelling is Jules's struggle to stay away from his egocentric ex, an actor who conveniently lands a starring role in Jane's film, and from Jane's brother Robin, who's so deep in the closet that he has turned to drink. At times, Brockmann goes too far in pushing her agenda—even Cosmo is a card-carrying member of PFLAG who, thanks to his gay father, "can name every Barbara Streisand album ever made"—and readers won't need second sight to foresee the story's twists. Still, Brockmann's uncanny ability to give each character an authentic voice and dialogue to match will pull readers through this shaky installment.
July 1, 2004
A hotheaded film producer ends up with a bodyguard-and the love of her life. Romance Writers of America named a Brockmann book
December 15, 2004
Jane Mercedes Chadwick has worked hard to cultivate her image, and having a bodyguard around would prove that her reputation as Hollywood's "Party Girl Producer" is more fiction than fact. But after she begins receiving death threats from a group of neo-Nazis who object to her latest project, Jane's studio ignores her protests and hires Troubleshooters, Inc. Babysitting a hot movie producer should have been an easy assignment. Then U.S. Navy SEAL Cosmo Richter meets Jane, and not only does he have to convince the sharp-tongued and sharp-witted Jane that she really is in danger but Cosmo has to convince himself that becoming romantically involved with a client really isn't a good idea. Several characters from previous books in Brockmann's Troubleshooters, Inc., series have roles to play in her latest riveting tale of danger and desire, including FBI agent Jules Cassidy, whose old romance with actor Adam Wyndham and whose present, somewhat confusing relationship with Jane's younger brother provide even more romantic complications for the plot. Brockmann's latest is funny, sexy, suspenseful, and superb.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)
Starred review from January 15, 2005
Brockmann takes her popular "Navy SEALS Troubleshooters" series to a new level with this fast-paced thriller that features not only a crazed, crafty killer and a steamy romance between a sexy Hollywood producer and her no-nonsense bodyguard but also a subplot that gives openly gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, a popular character from earlier novels, a romance of his own. Brockmann's realistic, sensitive treatment of gay romantic relationships is groundbreaking in mainstream romance fiction and, given the imitative nature of publishing, may well be just the first pebble in the pond. Although it is the eighth book in the series with returning characters, this fast-paced adventure stands completely on its own. Brockmann has penned another edgy, exceptional romance that challenges both the limits of the genre and readers' preconceptions. Brava! The author of "Flashpoint" lives in Massachusetts. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ "7/04.]
Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.