ICYMI: Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann @SuzBrockmann @randomhouse @JULIEYMANDKAC

Posted July 26, 2019 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review / 8 Comments

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


ICYMI: Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann @SuzBrockmann @randomhouse @JULIEYMANDKACDo or Die by Suzanne Brockmann
Series: Reluctant Heroes #1
Published by Ballantine on February 4, 2014
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 577
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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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.

ICYMI is a post from my early days of blogging at Yummy Men & KickAss Chicks.   You can see the original review here. This is one of my favorite romantic suspense series.

Yummy Man – Ian Dunn
Kick Ass Chick – Phoebe Kruger


I have enjoyed pretty much everything I have read by Suzanne Brockmann.  I like her characters which are real enough to feel like friends and stir my emotions.  The way she writes sex scenes is perfect for me, not too much detail so my own imagination fills things in.  The action adventure plots are exciting and interesting.  She even has some humor.  It’s a great blend.

Do or Die was labeled as a new series – Reluctant Heroes #1.  I have only read nearly all of Suzanne’s Troubleshooter series and I find this is really more of an offshoot from that series.  Characters I knew from the Troubleshooter series include Jules Cassidy, Martell Griffin, Ric Alvarado, Annie,  Yashi, and Deb Erlanger.   It is always comforting to see old “friends.”

We are introduced to Ian Dunn and his whole extended family of sorts.  I wasn’t sure I would like him or the book for the first part of it.  The book starts with the former Navy Seal in prison.   He is a big, strong, alpha guy, used to making the decisions for everyone, thinking he knows what is best.   We also have his brother, Aaron.

Then there is Aaron’s spouse and that whole extended family.  This is a big mess of dysfunctional outlaws.  Here the story delves into the past, and how they ended up where they are.  It’s a nice subplot.   It helps us understand the undercurrents of the current drama, as well as learn more about the characters.

Phoebe is Ian’s lawyer, sort of.  She is brand new to the firm. His “regular” lawyer isn’t available when a problem arises and she jumps in to do her best.  I have to say, initially, I rolled my eyes and thought perhaps she was too stupid to live.  Thankfully, she did learn and gets with the program after her initial idiocy.  Phoebe ends up being smart, doing the best she can for Ian and of course, falling for him in the process. She is strong, hard-working and doesn’t give up.  I like her.

I appreciate how Ian is smart, quick on his feet, and thinks of others before himself. Ian is totally in his head without letting his heart get involved.  But without the heart’s input, some of the decisions he makes for others are not perfect.  He’s such a guy, an alpha guy.  Finally, he lets himself feel, then, he is yummy.

The FBI, primarily Deb and Yashi, want to get Ian out of prison to do a black op.  Ian doesn’t want to get out of prison, even with immunity, to do a Mission Impossible.  The FBI doesn’t really give him a choice and so the fun begins.  It is a rescue with many problems and twists and some real NOT nice guys.

I really enjoyed Do or Die.  But if you haven’t read the Troubleshooter series, I would start there.  If you have, give this new series a try.

Giggle-worthy quote:

“’I’m not a hostage. I’m also not an Agency operative. I’m a lawyer. Your lawyer,’ she corrected him. ‘At least until I get that letter of termination.’

‘Give me some paper,’ Dunn said. ‘You must have some in your bag. It’s big enough to hold a full ream. Or maybe even a case.’

‘Ha ha, you are so clever and witty, but no, sorry.’  Two could play the bullshit game. ‘It has to be written on your letterhead, on twenty-pound paper, linen blend with a watermark preferred. It’s the firm’s policy. Size twelve font, by the way. Well, okay, we’re a little more flexible about that. We’d accept eleven. Maybe ten if it’s Times New Roman.’”

 

About Suzanne Brockmann

Suzanne Brockmann is the New York Times bestselling author of fifty-three novels. Her favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this was the first mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero ever to hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.

Since her explosion onto the publishing scene twenty years ago, Suz is now widely recognized as one of the leading voices in romantic suspense. Her work has earned her repeated appearances on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists, as well as numerous awards, including Romance Writers of America’s #1 Favorite Book of the Year (three years running), two RITA Awards, and many Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

Married to author and screenwriter Ed Gaffney, Suz divides her time between Sarasota, Florida and Boston, Massachusetts. She has two grown children, Melanie, who is a personal trainer and a writer, and Jason, who is an actor and tap dancer. Suz also has two miniature schnauzers, C.K. Dexter-Haven and Little Joe, both of whom (unlike Mel and Jason) still live at home.

Suz has recently co-written a Young Adult paranormal romance called NIGHT SKY with her daughter, Melanie. It’ll be released in late 2014, from Sourcebooks.

Suz also recently produced her first independent feature-length movie, a romantic comedy called THE PERFECT WEDDING, that she co-wrote with her husband Ed and her son Jason. The film is available now via streaming and on DVD from Wolfe Releasing. Find out more at www.ThePerfectWeddingMovie.com.

Suz is a proud member of PFLAG — Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. She is also a card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign, and MassEquality. A firm believer in civil rights for all people, she fought hard to bring equal marriage rights to all citizens of her home state, Massachusetts, and is currently working to do the same in Florida.

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Posted July 26, 2019 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review / 8 Comments


8 responses to “ICYMI: Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann