Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockmann

When Vinh Murphy's wife was killed in book six of the Troubleshooters series, I didn't think we'd ever see him again. But his story is actually very good. It wraps up the story line started about the Freedom

Network. See, everyone thinks that Vinh has executed the leader of the Freedom Network to avenge his wife's death. Even his best friend Hannah isn't sure about him. She's a retired cop who left the force when she was shot and an infection caused her to become deaf. The two of them work together to figure out what really happened while falling in love.

The subplot of this book is that of Izzy Zanella and Eden Gillman. Izzy has been prominent in several of the earlier books and it's in this book that he meets the woman who might be his match. Although, that's hard to tell since Brockmann likes to mix things up and even characters that seem to be in love through many books don't always end up together. We'll see how the rest of the series shapes up. Anyway, Eden is gorgeous, the sister of one of Izzy's SEALmates (Danny Gilman who hates Izzy's guts) and nineteen. She shows up early in the book, running away from home, a troubled teen. Then, six months later, she returns, pregnant. Danny thinks that Izzy is the father, and though that's an impossibility, Izzy marries the girl so she has insurance and a place to live. He's uber-attracted to her, it might even be love. But, though the book ends with Hannah and Vinh going on to happily-ever-after, the fate of Eden and Izzy remains in doubt.

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 22, 2008

Follows All through the Night

Followed by Dark of Night

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

All Through the Night by Suzanne Brockmann

Suzanne Brockmann is one of my favorite authors simply because she write with a one-two punch and started writing gay romance before just about any other "mainstream" author. Her books might be fairly traditional but her characters are always outside the box. In this book, the main story revolves around Robin Chadwick and Jules Cassidy, a gay couple whose wedding is the central story. We've seen their story grow from when they met and were immediately attracted, through them being pulled apart by age and distance, then having Robin work through his addiction to alcohol and both of them coming out and how it affected their careers. While this would still happen today, a lot of this would have been even harder almost a decade ago when only one state was acknowledging that gay marriage = marriage. 

We get to see all of the characters from the series as well as meeting one new couple. The subplot of Jules and Robin's assistant falling in love with a reporter who accidentally got Robin smeared in the press.

Short, but very cute.

Four and a half stars

This book came out October 30, 2007

Follows Force of Nature

Followed by Into the Fire

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa

Following "The Worst Best Man," this story follows one of Lina's cousins, Solange. It's not like Solange was even supposed to be at that wedding but Lina needed help. Solange didn't want to see the bride in the stairwell with another man nor did she want to hear him telling the bride not to marry the groom. Yet, both things happened. She certainly didn't mean to speak up during the ceremony but... she sure did that too. And the bride went scurrying down the aisle.

The man left at the altar, Dean, is disappointed but not heartbroken. He and Ella were more or less a business arrangement so that he could finish checking off his list of life ambitions. But it's a problem when his law firm wants to woo a potential new partner whose father is a billionaire of some sort. But she has a partner and the managing partner in charge wants someone who's in a relationship. So Dean quickly mentions that he and Mia are now dating. It's fraught because there is another man picked to help show her around as well and he is Dean's major opposition for a partnership. 

For her part, Mia and her closest cousins were raised by their single mothers. A conservative (and rather judge-y cousin is coming to town and Mia's mother panics and says that Mia is in a relationship. So, lots of reasons for the two of them to pretend to be together. Of course, all that time together exacerbates the feelings they already have for each other. 

Parts of the story were a little too much cringe (this is a fake relationship; of course parts will be annoying). And I wish the reveal had come about a different way because it was from a character we didn't get to see very often nor did we get to see the afterward of their relationship with the couple. This was a really enjoyable read and the characters were quite well-rounded.

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 5, 2022

Follows The Worst Best Man

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann

Mark "Jenk" Jenkins has been in many of the previous Seal Team 16/Troubleshooters books. He is a SEAL  with an incredibly boyish face. Lindsay Fontaine is also often mistaken for being much younger than she really is. When they meet, Lindsay is instantly attracted but Mark is entranced by a high school crush who he just got a job as the receptionist at Troubleshooters. So Lindsay holds off. But the two are assigned to work together to set up a training mission for the two groups. As they work together, Mark starts to realize that he really doesn't know Tracy, the receptionist, and isn't really that attracted to her. But Lindsay, Lindsay is someone he could spend the rest of his life with. However, Lindsay is only looking for one night and freaks out once they finally get together.

The first training op goes well when Lindsay, playing the kidnap victim, sneaks past both the SEALS and the Troubleshooters so both teams lose. 

They set up another training session in New Hampshire with Tracy as the victim. But when the SEALS go wheels up in the middle of the session, Tracy goes missing. Great subplot about catching a serial killer.

Four stars

This book came out April 15, 2006

Follows Breaking Point

Followed by Force of Nature

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

A Question of Inheritance by Elizabeth Edmondson

The second in a trio of books, we again see Hugo, a secret agent for the crown, his young teen sister Georgia, and Freya, the cousin of a newly discovered earl. But there's a problem with this earl, it seems like somebody is trying to kill him. This is not exciting for him, nor for his two daughters who have also traveled from America. 

It's Christmas, which is going to be a hard one this year since the earl was only recently discovered to be the heir and his half-sister, who expected to inherit, is less than happy to welcome a new sibling to the family. 

There are family tensions, stolen paintings, and a body that ends up in the family hothouse. It's a lot but it built off the first book nicely. You don't have to have read the first book but it really wouldn't be as enjoyable.

Four stars

This book came out October 27, 2015

Follows A Man of Some Repute

Followed by A Matter of Loyalty

Borrowed from Kindle; listened as audiobook

Opinions are my own

They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie

Victoria Jones was a girl like most others. Unfortunately, her gift for mimicry gets her sacked in the second chapter of this book. She is also an inveterate liar which gets her into trouble down the line. But in the beginning, she is having lunch in the park and meets Edward. He seems like a thoroughly charming
fellow and she decides to follow him to Baghdad. Why? Really, she has nothing better to do. And the first night there, she finally has some adventure when a man stumbles into her room and dies from a stab wound to the heart.

Now, the death doesn't occur until almost halfway through the book so there is a great deal of setup, but it is totally worth the read. If you've read Dame Christie before, it's not hard to figure out the murderer, but it is fun to see how the other characters come to the same conclusion.

Four stars

This book came out March 5, 1951

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Lead from the Outside by Stacey Abrams

I made it through three chapters of this book and was doing okay. Stacey Abrams has led an interesting
life and has worked really hard to get to where she is in life. I had picked up this book as a leadership book and was beginning to think about whether I wanted to keep listening when Chapter 4 came up. LOVE IT. You should read this book for this chapter alone. And, if you pick up the book, know that you will be getting more about Abrams' life than a straight leadership book usually offers. 

There may be other books that talk about mentorship out there but I haven't read one that lay out such a great way to look at the process of finding and keeping mentors. And I've read a ridiculous number of leadership books.

She talks about the types of mentorship: sponsor (who speaks up for you and opens doors), Advocate (someone who looks out for your success), peer (people who understand your problems.)

She mentions that you should build your network and to be intentional about how you do it. Find time to have informational meetings and make them be with a variety of people. At least one of the people in your network should not look like you. Make sure to include someone whose skills you admire. Also, you should be the one to plan the questions both in the informational meetings and with your mentor. That means that you will be finding out the things you need to know.

One great way to find mentors is to become a mentor yourself as people who help others are more likely to receive help in return.

Abrams talks about knowing things - finances (your own and corporate), understand what it is that you want, and that winning is not the goal.

Four stars

This book came out March 26, 2019

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own