She was talking to him—that was good. He didn’t like what she was saying, but at least she was talking.
Suzanne Brockmann
Defiant Hero
Format:
ebook & Audiobook
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists.” Meg Moore remembered the warning from her job as a translator in a European embassy. Those same words will spell out a death sentence for her daughter and grandmother who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists. Meg will do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything — even kill — to save her child.
When Navy SEAL John Nilsson is summoned to Washington, D.C. by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn’t seen her in years, but he’s never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn’t…
Point of view:
3rd person. Alternating perspectives by several main characters. Always clearly defined.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
I love. Love. LOVE. Suzanne Brockmann and the Troubleshooters series. However, John & Meg are probably my least favorite couple of the series. (Tying with Mike & Joan in Into The Night – likely because Meg & Joan share many of the same traits that annoy me.)
What I love about Brockmann is her ability to create dynamic characters, with flaws but with strength and the capacity to learn/grow as well. Meg was not intelligent (beyond conniving) nor was she emotionally/physically/mentally strong in any endearing way. She didn’t grow as the book went on and she’s only mentioned in passing once or twice as the series continues. John seems to somewhat mature, but only in the final moments of the book and in a way that isn’t very convincing. His internal dialogue about pregnancy in the last 30 min of the book really highlighted his continued emotional/relational immaturity. I just couldn’t connect with either one of them.
The Sam & Alyssa storyline as well as the flashbacks to Eve & Ralph and the fabulous narration save this for me. However, I have read/listened to all the other books in the series numerous times and I find myself constantly skipping this one. I recommend it, in that you need it as a foundation for the fantastic Sam & Alyssa arc that continues throughout the series (especially in Over the Edge, Into the Night, & Gone Too Far). While he only has a few lines, Jules is also introduced in this book and he will soon become an integral and beloved member of the Troubleshooters world.
Next up is Over the Edge which I adore for so many reasons!
Narration:
I cannot say enough fabulous things about Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank. They are both stellar narrators – voices, accents, emotions, and giving each character their own unique sound. My only complaint is the same as the last book, in regards to pacing/speed. Lawlor speaks at a much quicker pace than Ewbank (I think they recognized this at some point because I don’t find it to be as big a disparity in later books). I found myself having to adjust narration speed between narrators for it to be more cohesive.
Note: I originally read this. Then I found our library had the original audiobooks of the first 6 books (single narrators, various). THEN! Then the series was rerecorded in Dual Narration style with Patrick Lawlor & Melanie Ewbank. I’m in LOVE with these narrations. I own them all. And if it were possible to wear out digital copies of something, I’d have done it by now.
My Favorite Quotes
She was talking to him—that was good. He didn’t like what she was saying, but at least she was talking. – Defiant Hero @SuzBrockmann #audiobook @PLawlorAudio @EwbankMelanie #Troubleshooters #SEALs #RomanticSuspense #SecondChance
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I’m going to go down there, look at the car and go, hmmmm. Then fly back to DC and tell the boss everything that the local guys already told me. – Defiant Hero @SuzBrockmann #audiobook @PLawlorAudio @EwbankMelanie #Troubleshooters #SEALs #RomanticSuspense #Jules #SecondChance
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Rellim Reads 