Sharon Hamilton (4)

Exciting, unpredictable story with all the warm, fuzzy family feels folded in. Works perfectly as a standalone but this is a series that is well worth reading or listening to from start to finish.

Mark and Sophia decide to celebrate ten years of marriage by going on a trans-Atlantic cruise from Italy to the Caribbean at Christmas with their three daughters, with a renewal of their wedding vows and a trip to visit Sophia’s mother in Italy thrown in. Their last two cruises were disasters but show more they are hopeful this will turn out to be just the family vacation they need.

The three girls are sweet, if a handful at times. Sophia is passionate, emotional, fiery, and maybe could also be handful at times, and ready for a break after having so much of the parenting fall on her shoulders alone with Mark away for SEAL duties so much. You can see the love between them is strong; you can also see there is a little tension that rest, relaxation and romance – when they can fit that in – might ease.

The visit with Sophia’s family is wonderful. The cruise starts out wonderful, too. Sophia and Mark are working as crew to provide dance lessons, there are plenty of fun activities and delicious meals, Sophia reunites with the Captain and crew she knew from her past employment on board, and the girls are enjoyed a little relaxed discipline because this is a special trip.

However – and that never sounds good, does it – things quickly start to go wrong. And become very dangerous. Drugs on the ship, high-powered people who think they are above the law, Mark’s arrested, Sophia’s kidnapping. So much for that perfect vacation.

Thanks to author Sharon Hamilton for providing an Audible copy of Cruisin’ for Love via her newsletter. This was a story meant for listening: talented narrator JD Hart makes the story come to life with perfect pacing and a knack for voices. My first introduction to this series but I will be returning for more. I leave this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own. show less

SEAL Brotherhood: Lucas by Sharon Hamilton
Book #1: Band of Bachelors Series
Source: Netgalley/Publisher
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

Lucas Shipley is just about the dumbest smart person you’ve ever met. Oh, he’s got the brains and the brawn to be a successful SEAL team member but when it comes to women, his head is planted firmly up his ass. His wife has kicked him out, he’s living with four other busted-relationship Team members, and he finds the new realtor totally hot. Yeah, show more ‘cause Lucas totally needs to get involved with a woman right now.

Marcy Gelland is very good at her job and isn’t at all put off by Connie Shipley. Oh, Connie’s a piece of work alright with her anger, big mouth, and generally foul demeanor but she has two properties that need to be sold and Marcy is used to dealing with embittered wives and husbands. Connie wants both properties sold and she doesn’t care what Marcy has to do to get them sold. Oh, and if Marcy can find a way to make the sale of the properties really, really hurt her soon-to-be ex, all the better. Though Marcy is willing to sell one of the properties, she isn’t exactly sure if Connie has the legal right to unload the other. A meeting with the infamous Lucas Shipley and a visit to the other property will certainly help clear up matters. What ensues is a roller coaster ride of crazy . . . .

By chance, Lucas and Marcy end up at the second, very secluded property at the same time. Lucas has every intention of seducing Marcy and Marcy is along for the ride. What neither expected is the intense and very real connection that seem to develop in a short amount of time. Before either knows what hit them, they have agreed to a long-term commitment which means Marcy has to bow out of selling the property(ies), and learn to live her life as the partner of a SEAL team member. Intent on making things right, Marcy intends to fully disclose her relationship with him as she turns over the property listing to another agent. Though Lucas advises Marcy to keep her mouth closed where his ex is concerned, Marcy has some pesky morals (Now!) and feels she must do the right thing. Unbeknownst to Marcy, Lucas’s ex has already made sure Marcy has been terminated and Lucas has been called away for an operation. WOW!! Marcy’s life went from awesome to awful in the span of twenty-four hours. . . . .Little does she know, it’s going to get far, far worse before it gets better.

The Bottom Line: This is my first Sharon Hamilton read and I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last. I liked both Lucas and Marcy from the very beginning and really wanted their relationship to work out. To be sure, the cards are stacked against them between Lucas’s seriously dangerous job, his bat-shit crazy soon-to-be ex-wife, and Marcy’s involvement in their lives and divorce. Not to mention, the crazy awful drama that goes down in the last third of the book. Lucas’s life and many of his SEAL Team brothers’ lives are threatened, Marcy is not just threatened but harmed, and one of Lucas’s properties is burned to the ground. I like the way this book is split up with most of the action rolling over you in a big wave in the last third of the book. The first two-thirds deals primarily with character development so by the time I got to the final third, I was totally invested in the characters. There are a few loose ends in this read that bugged me. For example, why didn’t Marcy’s friend Devon ever share her good news, what happened to the supremely wretched soon-to-be ex-wife, and what happened to Lucas’s kids? Even with the loose ends, I still very much enjoyed this read. Lucas pulls his head out of his ass and Marcy makes lemonade out of lemons so all is right in the end, just the way I like my reads to be.  show less

I really wanted to like this. I like a good story with military heroes, but reading this anthology was a chore. Frankly. I couldn't get through the second story. I understand they aren't full length novels, but I couldn't get over the meet and fall in live in two days concept. Maybe it would have been better if the stories were developed into full length novels and the characters could actually foster story. This was like getting a sugar high from a pixie Stick.

I was expecting something quite different.. it's cute, but I'm disappointed. My biggest complaint: more detailed transitions are needed throughout the book as well as a more developed relationship between TJ & Shannon. This would have added value to them as a couple, and credence to the story as a whole. There is one meeting between TJ and Shannon after her husband is killed, and supposedly they fall instantly in love, when they pretty much repulsed each other before- I'm not believing it. show more The story jumps around and goes from 0-60mph in an instant... it's much too soon for the endearments and professions of undying love, without a foundation to build it on. Again, more detailed transitions would lend the story believable characters, and their relationship would feel realistic and alive. There was some action, but again, so quick & without supporting details that could take it to the next level. Cute, shallow story- I kept waiting for it to dive a little deeper, but that never happened. show less