Alicia’s review of Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann
Romantic Suspense published hardcover 14 Aug 07 & mass market 24 Jun 08 from Ballantine
After I finished reading Into the Storm I just didn’t feel like I’d had enough of Suzanne Brockmann’s brand of excitement. So, the same night I just went ahead and picked up Force of Nature.
Blurb:
Florida private investigator and ex-cop Ric Alvarado’s life is spiraling out of control. His beautiful new Girl Friday, Annie Dugan, is far more interested in fieldwork than filing, and despite Ric’s best efforts to ignore the attraction, sparks are flying between them. Then one of Ric’s clients turns femme fatale and tries to gun down an innocent man. Thanks to quick thinking and even quicker reflexes, Ric comes to the rescue, only to learn he’s done a very good deed for some very bad people.
Suddenly Ric finds himself deep undercover with Annie, working for notorious crime boss Gordon Burns. One mistake from Ric’s painfully inexperienced partner and they’re both dead.
FBI Agent Jules Cassidy’s life isn’t in much better shape. For years the FBI has been trying to prove Gordon Burns’s ties to terrorist activity. Now, thanks to Ric and Annie, Jules has found a way into the lion’s den. But in the course of his investigation, he comes face to face with Robin Chadwick, the charismatic but self-destructive and closeted movie star for whom Jules feels a powerful attraction. Robin’s in town promoting his latest film — and Gordon Burns is a star-struck movie buff.
With Robin and Jules’s help, Ric and Annie are soon entrenched in Burns’s organization, surrounded by killers who may already have executed an FBI infiltrator. Before long the couple realizes that many more lives than their own will be at stake if they make a false move. As the heat between them reaches dangerous levels, so do the risks they’re willing to take — in the line of duty, for the sake of loyalty, and in the name of something that runs even deeper…
Read an excerpt.Â
With as many “friends to lovers” fans as there are out there, I’m really surprised the blurb doesn’t mention it. Ric’s “new Girl Friday” is a girl he’s known since she was 11 years old. There’s a sweet friendship between these two. He’s been attracted to her since she was 16 but didn’t act on it (for reasons revealed in the story).
This book is classic Suzanne Brockmann. Everything felt just right… even the things that were kind of unrealistic. Robin just happens to be where the bad guys are?… So what! Annie shows so much natural talent with no training at all?… Oh, well, maybe so. The book is just so good I couldn’t manage to care about minor things like that. I don’t see Jules letting Robin take his attention away from so serious of a situation but I’ve wanted this for Jules for so long I just didn’t care.
Annie takes the tstl heroine who won’t stay out of trouble and turns her on her ear. Annie keeps getting yelled at for not staying out of trouble. But these are situations where she actually did need to do something.
This is a very emotional book. Jules comes to the end of his rope with Robin. Robin is forced to face some tough facts. Ric and Annie have a lot of past to re-think. The terrorist/organized crime subplot put me through the wringer, as well. But there’s lots of happy mixed in with the tears and fears.
Grade A-
My complaint with this book, which I just recently mentioned, is that I wanted more Jules and Robin. I wasn’t comfortable with the resolution of their relationship, especially regarding Robin’s addiction issues. All Through the Night is a must read because you get that HEA with no lingering doubts about Robin’s ability to triumph over alcoholism.
Jules kicks butt, doesn’t he?
It needed to be about 75 pages longer (who am I kidding, I wanted it to be twice as long) – more Jules and Robin! And more Martell and more Pierre, too. 🙂
Hunh. guess I’m out here in the cold as a lone somewhat unsatisfied reader. not that I didn’t like it, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite Brockmann. that being said, i’m still going to buy and read All Through the Night 🙂
Make that two of us out in the cold. I had a very hard time getting through a book that I would have read in a day.
I don’t know, I felt the book lacking. I was looking forward to Jule’s story and I felt like it was like she was walking on egg shells. Just my opinion.
As for Ric and TSTL Ugh!
Well I can say to those who felt left hanging with Jules and Robin that the reason is their book is next. I’m reading All Through the Night right now and it’s definitely their book.
I think she’s being careful (the eggshells) because public response to it won’t be academic for her, but personal. It’s got to be way inportant to her that she not get it wrong.
I had absolutely no problem with Jules and Robin – in fact, I felt their chemistry and love story was more believable and enjoyable than Ric and what’s her face. As for being left hanging, after waiting through several books for Sam and Alyssa and Max and Gina, I’m used to Brockmann dragging out the HEA.