Some Kind of Hero Review

Title:  Some Kind of Hero
Series:  Troubleshooters #17
Author:  Suzanne Brockmann
Publisher:  Ballantine Books
Release Date:  July 11, 2017
Order Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  4 Simmering ♥'s

*Many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book via Netgally.

Synopsis:

Navy men don’t come tougher than Lieutenant Peter Greene. Every day he whips hotshot SEAL wannabes into elite fighters. So why can’t he handle one fifteen-year-old girl? His ex’s death left him a single dad overnight, and very unprepared. Though he can’t relate to an angsty teen, he can at least keep Maddie safe—until the day she disappears. Though Pete’s lacking in fatherly intuition, his instinct for detecting danger is razor sharp. Maddie’s in trouble. Now he needs the Troubleshooters team at his back, along with an unconventional ally.

Romance writer Shayla Whitman never expected to be drawn into a real-world thriller—or to meet a hero who makes her pulse pound. Action on the page is one thing. Actually living it is another story. Shay’s not as bold as her heroines, but she’s a mother. She sees the panic in her new neighbor’s usually fearless blue eyes—and knows there’s no greater terror for a parent than having a child at risk. It’s an ordeal Shay won’t let Pete face alone. She’s no highly trained operative, but she’s smart, resourceful, and knows what makes teenagers tick.

Still, working alongside Pete has its own perils—like letting the heat between them rise out of control. Intimate emotions could mean dangerous, even deadly, consequences for their mission. No matter what, they must be on top of their game, and playing for keeps . . . or else Pete’s daughter may be gone for good. 

Review:

Rich with unique characters, snarky humor, sizzling romance, and intense suspense, Some Kind of Hero is another great read in the Troubleshooters series!  Brockmann’s signature multifaceted characters and plotlines are prevalent, but to a somewhat lesser extent than some previous books, and as always, heroes are larger than life.

Anyone with dreams of becoming one of the elite Navy SEALS must make it through BUD/S Training and survive Hell Week as in overcome every impossible obstacle that Lt. Peter “Grunge” Greene throws in their path.  Failure is not an option if they are to become one of the elite.  Grunge practices what he preaches in every aspect of his orderly life.  So what stops this big, bad*ss SEAL dead in his tracks, throwing him off his game?  Grunge is suddenly faced with the overwhelming responsibility of raising a teenage daughter he doesn’t know - a mere, mortal 15-year-old.  Should be a piece of cake for a man who whips wannabe SEALS into shape, right?  Wrong.  Rebellious, sullen, unhappy, and mourning the sudden loss of her mother, Maddie isn’t interested in getting to know her father – a man she believes never wanted her - and so she splits at the first opportunity with 20-year-old “Dingo” no less – a kinda weird, possible hippie/druggie who befriended her.  Before the unpacking is done, Grunge has lost track of Maddie!  When it becomes obvious that he’s not the only person searching for her – that she’s in real danger, he hits panic mode and calls in back-up.

Shayla Whitman is a smart, funny, creative single mother extraordinaire raising two boys on her own while penning romance/suspense novels and arguing with voices in her head.  When she sees the sexy SEAL that just moved in across the street flagging down cars and yelling “my daughter is missing,” she does what any Mom would do . . . drives to the rescue with both “mom-barrels” blazing.  Shayla is in for the long haul, ready to share her “mother-of-a-teenager” knowledge along with some of her suspense/mystery solving skills aka romance/suspense book research.  With intense sexual chemistry sparks flying, their journey from strangers to friends to cohorts to lovers begins.

Some Kind of Hero started off with a different vibe for me – not the norm I have come to expect from the Troubleshooter books.  While the scenario of a frantic father looking for his missing daughter is intense, the delivery had a light-hearted tone.  It threw me at first as Peter seemed out of character and came across as a little inept for a SEAL, making some costly *well, duh* mistakes for the professional, well-trained man that he is and often relying on Shayla to tell him what to do.  I realized, however, that he was reacting as an inexperienced scared Dad vs. a take-charge Navy SEAL.

As the story unfolds, it flows more toward what I have come to expect from these books – deeper, more action-intense plot line, past characters riding in to the rescue, slow-burn romance simmering with lots of tension.  And as with many of the other books, a past historic story line weaving its way throughout - connecting past places, times, and characters with the plot of the present - adding yet another rich and heart-touching layer.  Favorites like Izzy help deliver another intriguing Troubleshooter story with just the right blend of snarky humor, romance (with a side of HOT sex), and suspense with a few twists along the way.  Another Must Read in one of my favorite series ever!

My Rating:  4 Simmering ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

Sandra