Anne Elizabeth

Terrific book that sucked me in from the first chapter and didn't let go until the end. I've been a fan of the author since I read SEAL at Heart, and this was my favorite book so far. I loved the blend of romance, action, intrigue, and suspense. Another big plus was the space theme and the SEAL history that went with it.

Dr. Kimberly Warren, a brilliant engineer, and designer of the Warren Shuttle, has a problem. Trouble plagues her top-secret space mission, from technical issues to several show more scientists and two Navy SEAL astronaut candidates' deaths. A high-ranking Navy official and family friend promises to get her some help.

Sent in as astronaut candidates, Captain Bennett Sheraton and his teammate, Jonah Melo, also have the hidden agenda of searching for solutions to the program's issues and finding out who murdered their SEAL brothers and the other scientists.

First up is the romance. The sparks between Bennett and Kimberly were evident from the moment they met. Usually focused almost exclusively on work, Kimberly's reaction to Bennett surprises her. Bennett initially looks at his reaction to Kimberly as a distraction he doesn't need. But those sparks soon grow too strong to ignore. I liked that both Kimberly and Bennett are mature adults (he's 40, she's in her 30s), tops in their fields, with terrific senses of humor. Once Kimberly and Bennett make up their minds to pursue the connection between them, they are all in. They don't play games with each other's emotions, and when an issue crops up, they talk about it. They work hard to prevent their romance from interfering with their work yet still manage to carve out time to be together. Kimberly also takes care to show no favoritism to Bennett when picking a pilot for the shuttle - perhaps going a little too far in the other direction. Each is protective of the other, with good reason, as the launch grows closer. There are some tense moments during the space mission, and both realize that they want a future together. Bennett's post-mission recovery created some interesting challenges for the couple. The ending was fantastic, especially the trip to DC.

Next up is the intrigue. The mission brings together scientists and candidates from all over the world along with their accompanying rivalries. Kimberly continually has to play referee and deal with a project director, Kess, who seems intent on usurping all of her power. As Bennett and Melo dig into the program's problems, they discover a variety of issues. I loved their teamwork as they put their problem-solving skills to work. The tension ramped up as both Bennett and Melo witnessed some troubling interactions among two candidates and became increasingly suspicious of Kess and his intentions. The discovery of another dead candidate answered some questions, while an unexpected twist with Kess answered others. However, that isn't the end, and Bennett and Kimberly must remain vigilant.

Last is the suspense that builds from the moment Bennett arrives until the shuttle is safely back on earth. This was my favorite part, as I thoroughly enjoyed all of the little details about the process. From the start, there is the whole question of whether everything would be done in time to make the launch window. I could feel the tension as the engineers stressed over the software/hardware issues. Though there wasn't truly any question about who would be chosen as the pilot, there was enough competition to add to Bennett's stress. As an added complication, Kimberly was systematically pushed further out of the loop of the mission. As the launch got closer, I had the feeling that there was trouble yet to come. After the launch, I was glued to the pages as Bennett conquered one hurdle after another. The comet part was a nail-biter, as was its effect on the rest of the mission. I understood Kimberly's fury with the powers-that-be and loved seeing her take matters into her own hands with Melo's help. The landing had me on the edge of my seat until it was over and Bennett was safe.

One of my favorite secondary "characters" was Sally, Kimberly's computer system. There were times she seemed almost human. Though I was a bit confused about how she could be all-seeing at times, yet didn't know who committed the murders. I didn't let it bother me too much, preferring to enjoy what she did do. I also liked Sally's counterpart, Sully, the shuttle's onboard computer system. I loved how Sully got his name and Bennett's enjoyment when he figured it out. show less

A SEAL Forever by Anne Elizabeth
Book #3: West Coast Navy SEALs Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

Talk about a bounce back book!! A SEAL Forever brings the West Coast Navy SEALs series out of the dreaded sophomore slump and roaring back into life with Declan and Maura’s story!

Maura Maxwell isn’t exactly shy but she is somewhat reserved especially when it comes to her hotter than hell neighbor, Declan Smith. Declan is a walking, talking wet dream but Maura has no show more interest in being a part of the hook-up parade that seems to pass through Declan’s door on a regular basis. Maura has every intention of keeping her lust in check and private until the night she goes out for a quick swim and gets caught in a storm. Declan not only rescues Maura but he also dumps her into a hot tub and kisses the crap out of her. So much for remaining somewhat shy and reserved.

Declan Smith has spent his life either preparing for or performing for the SEALs. There has never been anything other than the SEALs, staying totally fit and active, and women that have interested Declan. Saving Maura from drowning not only brought her into his life but for the first time in his life has made him think about something more than just a hook-up. Maura shares his love of the outdoors and activities, she is adventurous, and once the initial awkwardness was over, she is quit uninhibited, sexually speaking. In short, Maura is the perfect woman for Declan and he has no plans to move on. Maura is the something better!

For weeks Maura and Declan spend every available moment together and with the exception of a few bumps in the road, everything is golden. Maura understands that when Declan leaves he is knowingly walking into danger and he may not return and these are things she is willing to accept about the man she is sure she is falling in love with. Declan’s latest mission is more dangerous than ever before and when things go sideways, he doesn’t return to Maura all in one piece as he expected. In fact, it is more than a month before he returns and when he does, he isn’t sure she is going to be willing to stay with a man who isn’t whole.

The Bottom Line: Woosh!! Declan Smith is some kind of hot and with Maura by his side, he is just about the perfect man. While I am generally a character-drive reader, the plot of this one and the way it unfolds is the real winner of this read. Uncharacteristically, there is no slow build-up leading to the eventual relationship. The relationship begins quickly and it is only later that Declan and Maura have to deal with real issues that will test their strength and relationship. Their road to a HEA is not at all easy and I really liked the change in their relationship as they each deal with Declan’s injury and road to recovery. This is a tightly written read with good characters and a plot that is both entertaining and different enough from the other two in the series to keep the series feeling fresh. show less

Very good book. Maura and Declan are neighbors who share a balcony in their apartment building. Maura is attracted to Declan, but too shy to do anything about it, especially seeing the variety of beautiful women who pass through his apartment. Declan is a Navy SEAL who makes no secret of his avoidance of committing to any one woman. His job makes relationships difficult, and a SEAL is all he's ever wanted to be. When Declan rescues her from a stormy dip in the ocean, it's the impetus she show more needs to go after what she wants.

I really liked Maura. She may be shy around Declan, but when it comes to the rest of her life, she's a hard charger. As a gymnast, she lost her Olympic dream when she was involved in a car accident. Now she teaches parkour and gymnastics and dreams of owning her own gym - a dream that is about to come true. She's also a woman with a big heart, which shows in the way she cares for the kids and families who use her gym. I loved how her brush with death motivated her to overcome her shyness with Declan. She is also a woman with incredible inner strength. She used that strength to beat her injuries, and she used it again to help Declan.

Declan was great. He is a SEAL with a lot of years in the teams. What he does is a huge part of who he is. He has a great relationship with his Team brothers, and I loved the scenes of them together. Though I was a bit mad at Declan that first night after he rescued Maura, when he followed through on his plans with another woman, that didn't last long. Once he really got to know Maura, that was it for him. Declan is a big, strong guy of course, but is also pretty sensitive. He has good insights into what makes people tick and has a talent for bringing out the best in them.

I loved the development of their relationship. Their first date, where she asked him out to say thank you for saving her, was really unexpected. I loved how it turned out, and it was a good indicator of how their relationship would go. Over the course of several weeks, Declan realized that there was something different about the way he felt for Maura. Instead of being bored after a few dates, there was always something new to be learned about her, or to do with her. This had never happened to him before and had him believing that there might be a future for them together. Maura feels the same about him, but she has a few doubts. She worries that she isn't enough, and an encounter with an old girlfriend of his has her questioning their relationship. She pulls away, and by the time she sees the light, he's been called away on a mission.

The description of the mission and its aftermath are very well done. During the whole thing I felt as though I was there. Declan's injuries were life-threatening and I ached for him when he found out just how bad they were. His own inner strength and determination came out as he knew he had choices in how he dealt with them. I ached for his fear that he would lose his work with the SEALs because of them. I was also a bit mad that he never contacted Maura the whole time he was in the hospital, though I sort of understood his reasoning. I loved how the closeness of the SEAL family was shown in the support that he got while in the hospital.

Declan was worried about how Maura would react when she saw him. I was a little surprised at how smoothly that went as I would have expected at least some anger over the long silence. Most likely because of her own injuries, Maura is very accepting of his. But she's also no pushover, and doesn't let him wallow in his fears for long. I loved her gentle butt-kicking, and the effect it had on him. Their progress together, as Declan learns to cope with his new reality, strengthened their relationship. I also loved how her push also got him looking at a new direction in his life with the SEALs. I loved Declan's big moment at the end, and the epilogue was a nice addition.

I loved all the interactions with Declan's Teammates, both his and Maura's. The closeness of the brotherhood really came out in the post-injury support. I loved that there was no pity, only the effort to make things as normal as possible. From adapting his motorcycle to being his support team for the triathlon, they were there for him. I also loved their acceptance of Maura, especially during his emergency surgery. I would love to see Leaper get his own story. show less

A SEAL at Heart by Anne Elizabeth
Book #1: West Coast Navy SEALs Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

When John Roaker came home from his last mission, he came home with some pretty serious injuries and a whole lot of holes in his memory. The doctors assure him that given enough time and therapy, his memory will return but John just isn’t feeling the whole share his feelings and hug it out vibe. In fact, John is pretty sure his head is going to explode if he has to sit show more through one more forced therapy session. Unfortunately, if John doesn’t attend therapy and get his memory back, he isn’t going to be sent back into active duty and that is even more unacceptable than hugging and sharing.

Laurie Smith doesn’t date military men, especially not SEALs. She grew up in the SEAL community, was raised by two separate SEALs and now, she spends her days working as a physical therapist and avoiding dating anything and anyone that even comes close to being a SEAL. Laurie’s first encounter with John didn’t go spectacularly well (mostly!) but as she gets to know him she figures out that he is a decent guy that just wants to understand what went wrong with his last mission. As it turns out, Laurie’s particular brand of therapy both in the office and out is quite effective and within a very short amount of time, John begins to recall bits and pieces of the clusterf*&k that was his last mission.

As the bits and pieces continue to come back to John he is even more confused and has no idea who he can trust. His best friend and swim buddy died in the fracas, two of his teammates have been ordered not to talk to him, and the other two, well, they’re sketchy as hell and John’s sure they’re somehow involved in the awful that went down. With Laurie’s help and some late night mission reconstruction (and some awesome naughty bits!) John is finally able to pull all the pieces together and what he discovers will bring down a lot of wretched folks.

The Bottom Line: This is my first Anne Elizabeth read and I rather enjoyed her brand of military man romance. Laurie is feisty as hell, her adoptive dad cracked me up on several occasions, the naughty bits are quite good, the mystery is just enough for this genre, and John Roaker is a super-sexy leading man. My only complaint about this read is the incessant reminders of SEAL code and honor. That’s pretty much a given and once the point is made, there isn’t a whole lot of point in the characters beating a dead horse. Overall, A SEAL at Heart is a good read with only a few minor flaws that certainly won’t keep me from moving on to book two, Once a SEAL. show less